Beauty and the Geek
by GLEEful Heart
Summary: "Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme..." A glimpse into the blossoming relationship started in my previous story Lean on Me. Quartie.
1. Chapter 1

_**An authors note...I'll be spending the next few weeks scouring over my two previous stories, fixing any mistakes that I missed and make those improvements/edits I'd forgot to previously(some have already been done), updating this, as well as getting my fourth piece up, an Abrams family album of sorts. So, if any oddities or questions should arise, please feel free to contact me personally or refer to the chapter/content in question, to see if it has been updated. **_

_**This new story is a compilation of snippets that shadow the blossoming relationship hinted at, at the end of Lean on Me...a pairing I admit, I never would have imagined falling so hard for. I suppose after spending over six months writing that story, it was inevitable though. Hope you enjoy this one!**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

There was really no defining moment, no immediate labeling one another, no sudden declarations. And they were determined to keep things just as they had been, while they 'tested the waters' to see where this..._whatever_...might lead.

Trying their best to resist the undeniable growing attraction between them, however, only succeeded in making the butterflies grow stronger, the hidden glances come more frequently, and the smiles, hold more meaning.

Unfortunately, that combined with living under the same roof only made things that much more awkward.

"You look really pretty," Artie intoned through a breathy sigh as Quinn slowly made her way down the stairs.

She froze mid step and blushed. Lowering her head demurely, she gently swished her flowing skirt before smiling back up at him. "Thanks. You look really nice too."

Her vintage-esque purple poppy skirt and lavender button down blouse was in sharp contrast to the snugger than usual fitting jeans, blue polo, and thin black suspenders he was sporting. She briefly wondered when they had swapped fashion sense. Maybe their unique styles were rubbing off on one another. That thought alone, made Quinn's grin widen.

"Okay now, lets get a picture."

"C'mon Mom?", Artie groaned as he tugged his chair around to face his mother. Quinn giggled at the amusing exchange between the two as she practically skipped the rest of the way down to Artie's side.

"What?" Alicia feigned innocence, then gestured for the two to move in closer. Quinn was the first to oblige by simply perching herself on the arm rest of Artie's chair and draping an arm over his shoulder. "I'd just like to get a shot or two of you guys. You know, to have a small memento of this day." She cleared her throat pointedly and gave a watery smile. "It's not every day that your eldest son goes on his first date."

Artie's blushed deepened and he tentatively glanced up to find Quinn staring at him curiously. "It kind of is...well technically, I guess," he admitted with a sheepish shrug, before quickly turning away.

Quinn couldn't help but smile at that. Which was a good thing, considering how rapidly the flash of Alicia's camera was flickering around them. She leaned more comfortably into him, with her cheek resting against his temple so she could easily whisper in response, "Good. I'm glad it's with me, then."

So was Artie, only he was pretty sure that Quinn had absolutely no idea just how much. Her reply had taken him by such surprise that he almost missed the adoring look she was giving him before she sprang to her feet to silently declare this photo op, officially over.

Taking only a few small steps to her left, Quinn crossed the distance to where Mr. Abrams was standing, smiling as he cradled a sweet pink bundle of joy in his arms. "Don't hesitate to call if she gives you a hard time."

"How bad could she be," Art chuckled as he glanced down at a contently lounging Caroline, "she's not even two months old yet?"

Quinn let out a soft giggle before retorting shyly, "You know what I mean."

Art nodded playfully, then turned to regard his son. "Only if you promise to get the young lady here home before curfew," he warned teasingly and threw a pointed glance back in Quinn's direction. It was a small, sweet gesture that any good father would make prior to his daughters impending date...and it made Quinn feel really special.

Not to mention it made Artie look utterly adorable. "Yessir," he quickly returned with a mock salute.

"And be very careful driving tonight," Alicia nervously heeded a warning of her own. "They're calling for some rain later."

"We will," Artie promised, adding that brilliant smile for good measure. He knew those words were just empty assurances, and considering their accident took place in the middle of the day and on relatively dry pavement, his mother was bound to be a frantic mess later that night...but he'd try anything if it meant lessening her anxiety even just a tiny bit.

The small nod and appreciative smile that followed, confirmed he had.

"And no kissing," Abbey chimed in a second later.

An embarrassed flush tinged Artie's cheeks. "Abbs," he gasped under his breath.

"What?" she immediately countered with an innocent shrug and an equally disgusted look, "It's gross."

Artie turned even redder and tried to avoid looking over at Quinn, but the way she was looking at him made it difficult. A suggestive smile began spreading across her lips, and...hold up, did she just wink?.

"I mean, he's my brother and you're our Quinn, and...," Abbey paused to glance between the pair, who were currently busy staring at one another. Shaking her head, she heaved a dramatic sigh and threw her hands up in the air, "...this is all just way too weird for me."

"Well, I guess that would be our cue to leave," Quinn quipped just as Abbey disappeared from view.

"Yeah, sure," Artie replied distractedly at first, but quickly recovered. He gave an encouraging grin as he looked up at his parents. "At least she seems to be over the disappointment of not being able to go with us this time."

Art shot Alicia a pointed glance, before ushering Artie and Quinn to the door. "You kids have fun tonight," he reminded playfully.

"Oh, we fully intend to," Quinn sang over her shoulder. That look she had from before, returned, and it made Artie's stomach flutter in anticipation...which was a very welcomed change from the way it was nervously flip-flopping an hour ago.

There was a quick exchange of hugs at the door. Artie figured it was okay to let his mom linger in their embrace a little longer that was actually necessary, since she did the same thing to Quinn. A sweet kiss to Caroline's forehead from her and a tickle to the bottom of her bare feet from him, and they were on their way.

Or so Artie thought.

A tug on the handle of his chair caused him to spin around and glance up at Quinn, who was absolutely beaming. "Look at how cute they are," she cooed.

His gaze followed hers to the front porch where his parents were still standing in the doorway. Art with Caroline in one arm and his other draped around Alicia's shoulder, her head nestled against his chest.

Artie was just about to respond with an indifferent '_I guess' _when Quinn suddenly took off up the lawn, her cell phone aimed and ready. "Say cheese," she declared and snapped the adorable picture before either of them knew what was happening. For as photo happy as Alicia could get sometimes, she was terribly camera shy when it came to being the subject of a picture.

With a giggle and a wave, Quinn jogged back over to Artie and grinned satisfactorily. "Now we're ready."

...

The awkwardness of the situation didn't really settle in until the pair were in the van and on their way across town. Silence fell over them, save for whatever melody was playing on the radio at the moment, and lasted until they reached their destination.

In fact, the first words of the night spoken, were their drink orders...to the Maître d'.

"Pretty nice, huh?" Artie finally broke the silence, after nearly draining his glass of iced tea in only one sip.

"Yeah it is, really nice," Quinn agreed, smiling sweetly at him. "And not very incestuous at all."

"Excuse me?" Artie sputtered, thankfully without spitting his drink across the table.

"What Abbey said back home," she answered, trying hard not to laugh at his response. "I mean it's kind of understandable...from an eight year-olds perspective. I guess she kind of views me as a sister figure...so for me to be kissing her brother..."

"I thought you'd like it."

"Thought I'd like what?" Quinn queried, a teasing grin slowly spreading across her lips. "Kissing you?"

"Oh, um...I...," Quinn almost felt bad about reducing him to a blushing stammering mess, but it just made him look so much more freaking adorable than he already was. She watched as Artie cleared his throat. "Um, the restaurant," he continued softly. "You told me once you liked French things."

Only then did she actually did start feeling bad.

Quinn could feel the tiny itch of tears forming behind her eyes. "Artie, that was months ago," she gasped incredulously.

"Aside from the fact that I have a remakably good memory, you got really excited talking about it." He paused to smile up at her. "How your dads family is of French descent. How much you love French culture, like art, ballet, fashion, the food..."

A single tear made it's way down her cheek. "Oh God Quinn, I'm so sorry. I should've never brought up your dad..."

"Don't be silly Artie," she returned with a soft chuckle as she wiped away the stray tears. Maybe her hormones weren't completely under control yet, but this had absolutely nothing to do with her father. "It wasn't that," she insisted, then took a moment to really look at him. She wanted to make sure she got her point across. "It's just...I've never been with someone so considerate."

A look of surprise flashed across Artie's face, so Quinn took the time to explain. "I mean Finn's idea of going all out on a date, was going to Ruby Tuesday's instead of Bob Evans. And Puck, if it didn't come out of a box or bag, then he didn't eat it."

Artie tried not to let his expression falter while Quinn talked about her past beaus. She was with him now. Even though in the back of his mind, he was still worried about what _he_ could possibly have to offer her..."You deserve better."

This gesture struck her harder than the first, but no tears came. Instead, Quinn broke out into a wide smile and blushed. "I guess I have to get used to thinking that."

Her hand lightly grazed his, and he realized, much to his dismay, that he still had his gloves on. Giving him the time to take care of that, Quinn confessed. "You know, I've never had authentic French food." Artie looked up at her and smiled. "I mean the closest I've come, is eating baked Brie during the holidays and indulging in the occasional chocolate fondue."

"Well that's still more than me," he quipped as he twisted around to stuff his gloves in the side pocket of his backpack. "The only foods I've had are the fries, the toast and the salad dressing...none of which I think are actually French."

Quinn began to giggle, but turned self-conscious and promptly stopped herself.

"What's wrong?" Artie leaned forward to ask.

"I don't know...," she gave a slight shrug and looked around."...it just feels like every body's watching us."

Artie lowered his head and frowned. "Yeah, sorry about that."

It didn't take long for Quinn to realize what Artie was implying. "That's not it. We've been out dozens of times together and your chair has never been an issue." She leaned toward him this time and whispered, "I think it's because we're the youngest people in here."

The only part of Artie that moved were his eyes, scanning over the room. There didn't seem to be anyone else in the dinning area under the age of thirty. "I guess we are." He turned his attention back to her and twisted his lips contemplatively. "But that's okay right? If you're uncomfortable, we can go somewhere else."

"No," she insisted, smiling. "It kind of makes me feel all mature and important.

Artie was just about to return the gesture when out of nowhere, a waiter appeared at the table and thrust two menus into their faces. "I assume you two will not be needing the wine menu tonight. Our specials are located inside the front cover. I'll return momentarily to take your order."

"Maybe you can give that guy a lesson in maturity," Artie muttered under his breath as he watched the waiter walk away. But gauging by the expression on Quinn's face when he turned back around, she didn't find that very amusing. Artie was beginning to think this evening was turning into one big, fat, epic failure. "What's wrong now?"

"Nothing," she returned with a dismissive shrug and a forced smile. He obviously wasn't convinced. Chewing on her bottom lip, Quinn tentatively glanced back down at her menu, then up at him. "Have you seen the prices," she whispered incredulously, even the salads were ridiculously expensive.

Artie gave an indifferent shrug, "That's okay, I have money."

Quinn smirked. "Yeah, but if we keep this up, you're going to go broke by our third date," she playfully pointed out.

"We're going to have a third date?" Artie cringed at this bout of word vomit. He really had to start working harder on keeping his thoughts to himself. "I mean...," he faltered again and sighed apologetically, "Sorry. I'm kinda new at this."

Quinn reached out for his hand, this time weaving her fingers through his. Ignoring his unnecessary apology, she smiled brightly, "Well if we split something tonight, we can probably make it to a fifth date," and quipped innocently. He responded with an a little nod and shy grin that absolutely melted her heart.

There was a few minutes of silence that followed before Quinn spoke again. "Please don't take this the wrong way Artie," she stopped, hesitating slightly. His expression turned confused so she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "As much as I appreciate this gesture, I want you to know that you don't have to do this all the time." This pause was to gauge his reaction, which hadn't changed at all. Quinn began running her fingers over his. She really loved the feel of his hands. "I'm perfectly okay with hanging out on the couch at home, ordering take out and watching a movie."

Artie turned skeptical. "Even with my parents always hovering around, my brothers moodiness, and my sister constantly interrupting us?"

With an ever widening smile, Quinn nodded. She loved it all. "Or how you're always okay with having to plan things around Caroline's schedule," she countered and watched as Artie gave his own nod of acceptance. "Just because we're dating, doesn't mean the friendship part of our relationship has to change any."

Artie regarded her words for a second. "But I still get to kiss you, right?"

Quinn giggled out loud and didn't care who heard her this time. "Like right now? In public?" she teased playfully. His eager nod made her smirk widen. "What would Abbey say about that?"

Artie shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "I guess what she doesn't know, won't hurt her," he countered innocently.

Slowly leaning forward, a bit awkwardly at first, Artie Abrams did the one thing he'd been waiting years to do...he finally kissed Quinn Fabray.


	2. Chapter 2

_**An authors note...What an amazing honor to receive such a response to the first chapter of this story. Thank you to all who have read and a special thanks to those who left a review, your feedback is always so very much appreciated.**_

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The kiss was short and sweet and the best that Quinn had ever experienced. Finn's were always so awkward and slobbery and she sort of remembered Puck's being painfully aggressive. She knew she shouldn't keep comparing but it was hard not to when that kiss was the last thing on her mind before she went to bed that night. Even harder, was trying to resist the urge to repeat the action as soon as she laid eyes on him the next day. But she did, and amazingly they both lasted the entire weekend without even mentioning it. Something Quinn wasn't sure she should be grateful for, or concerned about. She knew having his family around all the time would make public shows of affection somewhat uncomfortable...for just about everyone.

So when she walked into the kitchen Monday morning to find him thankfully sitting alone at the table, she jumped at the opportunity to press a chaste kiss to his cheek before taking the seat next to him.

"Good morning," she chirped cheerfully.

"Morning," he returned softly, quickly lowering his head as he broke out into a fiery blush. That wasn't quite the reaction Quinn was expecting or hoping for. She watched Artie self-consciously began to lift his eyes and followed his gaze until it stopped at the center island of the kitchen...right to where Alicia was standing, trying desperately to hide the smirk playing across her lips.

Now it was Quinn's turn to blush.

Her head turned in Artie's direction when she heard him clear his throat. "Want some?" he offered a little meekly.

Quinn nodded, "Sure," and waited for Artie to fill her glass with orange juice before casually passing Caroline over to him. She couldn't help but giggle at the sweet little noises her baby girl was making while snuggling herself into Artie's strong arms.

"Well, hello to you too," he greeted with a playful chuckle, then glanced over at Quinn and quipped, "Someone seems happy this morning."

"She should be," Quinn replied, a proud grin spreading across her face, "she's freshly washed up, changed aaaand...I'm pretty sure she slept through the night for the first time, last night."

"You're kidding?" Artie gasped excitedly.

"I know, right...I couldn't believe it either," Quinn squealed in reply. "But, I put her down just after eleven..." She watched Artie nod slowly, as if searching for the memory. The image from last night of Caroline curled up on his chest as he dozed off along with her, flitted through Quinn's mind, making her smile widen. "...and she didn't wake up 'til almost six this morning."

"Close to seven hours..." Alicia chimed in, smiling warmly at the cute banter between her son, and dare she say...his girlfriend. "...that's definitely 'through the night' in my book."

Quinn beamed, but Artie shifted anxiously. "You need to mark that in her calendar?" he instructed, referring to the baby milestone chart he'd picked up at the bookstore just before Caroline was born.

"I already did," Quinn gushed, giggling softly . "I even used the little stickers that came with it. That one had 'first full nights sleep' written in a little cloud."

Artie nodded approvingly and smiled down at Caroline as he gently bumped his knuckles against her tiny fist. "Way to go, gurl!" She responded with an unexpected gurgle that made the trio erupt with laughter. "We should celebrate," Artie declared once he'd recovered enough to speak again.

"I don't think we need to throw her a party for every little milestone, Artie," Quinn teased playfully.

"I know that," he replied in defensive, then gave an adorably innocent shrug. "We could just do something special today. All of us. Together."

Alicia smiled at the suggestion. That sounded really nice. "What did you have in mind Sweetie?"

"Feel like a trip to the zoo?," Artie queried, glancing hopefully between his mother and Quinn.

"Which one?" the latter asked.

"Toledo," he offered with a casual reasoning, "it's the closest one to us."

Quinn grinned enthusiastically. "Oh I haven't been there in years."

"You two do know that it still takes about an hour and a half to get there?" Alicia returned tentatively.

Artie nodded. "But there's nothing fun to do around here," he intoned, stopping just short of a whine. "And Abbey's been asking to go to the zoo every day since school got out."

Alicia raised her brow. It wasn't like Artie to pull out the big guns and use his baby sister as bait...though deep down she could see it was because he wanted to go just as badly as Abbey did. "It's going to be another hot one today," she warned, flashing him a exceptionally pointed glance.

It was obvious to Artie what his mother was implying. "We'll pack extra water and be sure to reapply our sunscreen often," he answered instead, hoping that would be enough to appease her. It seemed to be, though she was wearing that slightly somber frown. He looked up at the clock and smiled. "And if we leave here soon, we could probably get there early enough to make it around the entire park before it even gets hot."

One more glance at him nearly bouncing with excitement, and Alicia caved. "I'll go make the sandwiches."

"And I need to repack Caroline's diaper bag," Quinn muttered, more to herself than anyone in particular, before scooping the baby from Artie and rushing out of the room.

Alicia pulled a bag of bread from the pantry and walked over to Artie. "So, I guess that leaves you with the honor of waking your brother up," she paused to peek down at her watch and smirked, "before 8am."

Artie's chin fell to his chest as he let out a sigh and reluctantly tugged his chair in the direction of the stairs.

...

It was barely past noon, and already the mercury was inching toward ninety degrees.

Andy was the clear leader down the path, walking at least ten paces in front of Artie and Abbey, while the two moms lagged behind with baby Caroline. Quinn couldn't help but laugh at the cute push and tug maneuver Artie was using to keep up with his very energetic little sister. "I swear, he's going to burn a hole right through his gloves if he keeps doing that," she quipped teasingly.

"If he hasn't already," Alicia returned in jest. There was an obvious hint of concern lacing her voice, and Quinn was pretty sure it had nothing to do with his gloves.

"At least he has more than one pair," Quinn tried again, but Mrs. Abrams just got this distant look in her eye. "Alicia, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered dismissively, and forced a smile.

"You're worried about him."

It didn't come out as a question, or even a statement really, just an simple observation on Quinn's part. And by the way Alicia lowered her head, it must have been accurate. "A little," she finally admitted, hesitating only slightly before she was able to continue. "It's just not very good for Artie to overexert himself in weather like this."

"Because of his asthma?" Quinn asked casually.

"That could be a problem, yes, but..."

Alicia let her words trail off softly, but that only succeeded in making Quinn more curious. "But?"

Mrs. Abrams lifted her eyes to see the imploring look Quinn was giving her. The poor thing was worried about Artie too, and didn't even know why. That in itself, deserved an explanation. So with a steadying breath, Alicia began, "Because of Artie's condition, his body isn't able to regulate certain functions below his level of injury. Temperature is a main one."

"And that's not good, right?" Quinn stammered a little.

"No Honey, it's isn't," Alicia answered in a comforting, but realistic tone. "His lower half doesn't sweat, which means his body can't naturally cool itself off, and that puts him at a greater risk for overheating, passing out, or even dehydrating...any of which would be very dangerous for him," she explained with a matter-of fact if not slightly clinical tone. "In very much the same way that during the winter months, even just moderate exposure to the cold could lead to some pretty major medical issues."

It all started to make sense now that Quinn's memory drifted back to those colder months at the Abrams. Artie's affinity for wearing heavy sweatpants around the house and thick wool socks, both at home and when they went out. How the downstairs thermostat was set a few degrees higher than the upstairs one. The stack of blankets kept in the van for emergencies, and the one she would sometimes catch Artie place discretely over his lap. "I didn't realize..." Quinn muttered, stopping abruptly as she looked over at Alicia. She was starting to feel like a really shitty girlfriend. "I mean, he never said anyth..."

"The possible complications related to his disability, is not something Artie finds easy to discuss openly..." Alicia cut in, offering Quinn a slightly sympathetic smile, "...especially with someone he cares so deeply for."

Quinn lowered her head and blushed at the compliment, but started moving again. "I just wish he trusted me enough to talk about it. I think I have a right to know these things," she intoned just a few paces later.

"I really don't think it's a trust issue Quinn," Mrs. Abrams countered reassuringly, then let out a small cough to clear her throat. "I think he's more afraid of scaring you off." The words came out softly and trailed off into the air. Quinn managed to swallow the large lump that had formed in her throat, before Alicia added, "But you are right...you do deserve to know what you're getting into...especially before things get too serious."

Quinn froze, completely stunned. For a second there, it sounded as if Alicia was_ trying_ to break them up. Of course it was obvious that she wasn't...only doing everything in her power to prevent her son from getting hurt. Quinn understood that. "It won't change the way I feel about him."

Alicia's response was a watery but genuine smile as she watched Quinn's own grin widened when her gaze returned to Artie. The affectionate expression Quinn was wearing was the same look Alicia caught Artie giving when he didn't think anyone was watching.

"Would you mind?" Quinn suddenly turned to Alicia and asked. She motioned from the handle of Caroline's stroller over to where Artie was. "He looks like he might be getting tired. I'm gonna go give him a hand."

Alicia gave an appreciative nod and wordlessly took over pushing the baby carriage. "Quinn," she called a second later, causing the girl to stop and spin around to face her. "Get him to drink as much of this as you can," Alicia requested, holding out a bottle of water she's grabbed from the small cooler sitting in the basket of the stroller. "He may not need it, but it will make me feel better. And I'm pretty sure he'll listen to you more than he would me."

Quinn smiled, took the bottle, and ran off to catch up with Artie. "Here, drink this," she demanded, gently dropping the bottle into his lap before taking control of his chair.

"Oh hey," he glanced over his shoulder and smiled at up her, then down at his lap, "...um, thanks."

"Don't talk, just drink," she ordered.

Artie let out a soft groan of embarrassment. "You and Mom were talking about me, weren't you?"

"Maybe?" she quipped, shrugging innocently.

"I'm not going to die of heat exhaustion Quinn," he playfully protested, and for a brief moment, wondered just how much his mother had told her.

"No, probably not," she conceded with a pointed smirk as she eyed him up and down. "But this heat isn't good for anybody...especially someone who's dressed like they're going either Easter egg hunting or apple picking."

Artie scoffed. "I'll have you know that this is the thinnest dress shirt and coolest pair of khakis, I own."

Quinn giggled in response. There was nothing 'cool' about his outfit at all...but she totally loved it on him. Leaning forward, Quinn placed an identical kiss to the one she'd given him that morning, only this one came from behind and with an entire zoo full of people to witness. "Now stop stalling and drink."

Artie grinned at her concern and got right to work on the bottle cap, but that grin soon turned into a painful grimace. "That might be a problem," he quipped playfully as he tried to stretch the soreness from his over worked limbs, "I'm not sure I can lift my arms that high."

**_ANx2...Hopefully you won't hate this chapter for not having a lot of actual Artie/Quinn interaction. It's considerably harder to write just the two of them 'together' when there are so may other characters 'in the way'...but I do love a challenge._**

**_Small edit update 10/4/10._**


	3. Chapter 3

_**An authors note...Wow guys, you did it again...totally amazed me with such a wonderful response. Thank you all. A nice long chapter with a lot more Artie/Quinn interaction...but also a little unexpected drama to liven things up a bit. I will also be throwing in a few small references from the back nine episodes, but only if and as they pertain to this AU. **_

_**Warning for the use of some very strong language toward the end of this chapter. It is Puck after all.**_

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Quinn waited impatiently for the garage door to lift up and welcome her into the much needed coolness of the shady haven. "Okay, this is just getting ridiculous now," she groaned when all she got was a rush of even hotter air. "It isn't even officially summer yet, and already we've had five days over ninety degrees." She glanced over her shoulder to look at Artie. "In a row."

A helpless shrug was all he could offer as he waited for Quinn to push Caroline, stroller and all, into the house, before silently following behind. Artie wasn't sure he could do much more than that, not with the way his parched tongue was currently sticking to the roof of his mouth. It was really freakin' hot out.

"It looks as though we're going to have to hold off on taking Caroline for her morning walk," Quinn griped as walked into the kitchen, wrapping a thin receiving blanket over the slightly sweaty baby, now that they were inside the air conditioned house. Artie looked up from his place in front of the ice dispenser and gave a frown of disappointment. Those early morning walks with the two of them were just about the best part of his day. Quinn returned with a sympathetic shrug, "At least for a little bit."

Artie wheeled over to the table. "Here," he said, offering her a refreshing glass of ice water.

"Thanks," Quinn smiled, taking a sip.

"Maybe not though." His slightly cryptic suggestion made Quinn's face wrinkle in confusion. Weren't they just in the middle of a casual exchange? Artie couldn't help but chuckle at the expression his girlfriend...it'll take some time getting used to saying that...was giving him. "I mean, we may not have to do away with them all together. We could just go earlier, or start walking at night instead."

It was barely eight-thirty when they left, how much earlier were they supposed to go? "But what about when I work? And I usually don't get home from my own classes until after nine," Quinn returned, referring to the summer job she picked up teaching dance classes at the studio Abbey goes to. And since she'd proved herself to be such an accomplished dancer, she was even given the opportunity to take some classes for herself...free of charge.

Quinn sat mulling over her options, or lack thereof, when an obscure idea suddenly popped into her head. "The mall. It's big, it's close, it's air conditioned and it's open early enough for us to go at our normally scheduled time."

"You wanna go crusin' the court with the old folks?" Artie quipped teasingly.

"Not exactly," she giggled and swatted him playfully on the arm. "There are plenty of moms with strollers walking at the same time. We'd fit right in."

"Sure. I can go rolling along with Grandpa and Grandma in their scooters, while you and the other hot mommies breeze past us," he countered, his tone falling flat.

It didn't happen very often, but on occasion, some of Artie's pent up frustrations would slip out in the form of a bitter retort or remark. And Quinn would usually try to be understanding and accepting and comfort him if he needed or just simply let it slide. But not today. Instead, she flashed him an innocent smirk and asked, "You think I'm hot?"

The new tactic worked, and within seconds, Artie's mood lightened considerably. He was adorably rendered speechless, unable to hide the widening grin or pink flush that was quickly tinging his cheeks.

Lucky for him, the awkwardness only lasted a brief moment, and Artie Abrams was never so happy to see the interruption that was his little sister...even if she was currently all mopey and sulky. "What's up Squirt?"

Abbey gave a nondescript shrug in response as she walked around the remaining four unoccupied chairs at the table for one seat in particular. Snapping off the brakes of her brothers chair, she moved him back just enough to allow herself access to his lap, which she promptly climbed into. Then, she leaned forward, elbows on the table top, and rested her head heavily in her hands. "Mom won't let me go swimming _again_ today."

Artie began to run his fingertips up and down her back, just short of tickling...his secret weapon if his words weren't enough to snap her out of her funk. "It's too hot out there," he told her comfortingly.

That was the exact same answer, in the exact same tone their mother gave, and not at all what Abbey wanted to hear. "What's the fun of having a pool, if you can't swim in it?" she grumbled.

"I'll take you swimming," Artie promised. "Later this afternoon, when it cools down a little."

Abbey turned her head to look at her brother and let out another sigh of disappointment, "But that won't be 'til after dinner."

Even without approaching their mother on the subject, he knew, "Best I can do, Squirt."

Abbey knew it too, and it was better than nothing. She glanced at Quinn with a hopeful look on her face. "Will you come too?"

"I'd love to Abbey, but I have to work tonight," she regretfully informed the little girl, who's grin was immediately turned upside down. "But Artie and I were just talking about going to the mall..."

"We were?" he cut in, perplexed.

"Yes we were," Quinn playfully reminded him, then turned her attention back to the child on his lap. "Would you like to come with us?"

Abbey twisted her lips to the side in that contemplative way that made her look exactly like a honey-haired, feminine version of Artie. "Can I get a pretzel?" She was asking him of course, and big brother could never say no to baby sister. Artie let out a small chuckle and nodded. "And a lemonade?" Another nod and now she was grinning from ear to ear. "Then can we go to the food court for ice cream after lunch?"

"Don't press your luck," Quinn warned teasingly.

"What makes you think you're getting lunch?" Artie quipped, just as playfully.

Abbey shot a dramatic eye roll her brothers way, which made Quinn nearly double over with laughter, but enthusiastically agreed to go. "Good. Now you can help us pick your brother out some appropriate summer attire."

Looking down at himself, Artie demanded, "What's wrong with what I've got on?"

"Well first of all," Quinn started, eyeing him pointedly, "your shirt is drenched with sweat." Okay yeah, there was really no getting around that one. "And," she continued, her tone taking on a slightly sympathetic resonance, "I'm pretty sure you wear those pants every other day."

Abbey turned and wrinkled her nose in his face. "What? Mom washes them," he countered defensively.

"Artie, you need some shorts," Quinn stated imploringly.

"I have shorts," he shot back.

"Owning three pairs of swim trunks is not exactly what I was referring to," she joked lightheartedly. Only Artie didn't find it all that funny.

"I just don't like wearing them," he mumbled weakly.

"I know," Quinn let out with a small sigh and flashed him a smile of understanding. The only time she'd ever actually seen Artie in shorts were the handful of times they'd been swimming together. And even then, her view was obscured by the water. He tended to already be in the pool before she even came outside, and waited until she went inside or had her back turned, before getting out. The rest of the time, he made sure to have his towel wrapped securely around his lap.

In retrospect, the closest Quinn had come to viewing the outline of Artie's legs was when he was wearing those skin tight spandex pants during the Kiss number. She really didn't think they looked all that different from how she'd imagined limbs that hadn't been used in over eight years to look. In fact, she found them kind of cute...bony knees and all. "But maybe we can find something...anything you might feel comfortable enough to wear, that will prevent you from melting to the seat of your chair on days like today."

Abbey nodded in agreement with Quinn and Caroline let out a high pitched squawk. Artie was still hesitant, but how was he supposed to argue with that? It was two and a half against one.

"Fine," he finally acquiesced, albeit grumpily, "but I'm not trying anything on."

...

Distracting the girls and shifting their focus away from him was much easier than Artie had thought it would be. He made sure to only pass stores he knew would pique their interests. And when that technique began to wane, he'd simply wander into the infant section of the nearest department store, and buy himself another thirty or so minutes.

"Okay Artie, that's enough," Quinn warned after they suspiciously end up swathed in yet another sea of pink and ruffles.

"But they're just her size," he argued, reaching back into the car seat part of the stroller system and slipping the tiny pink crib shoes from Caroline's feet. Artie innocently batted his baby blues up at Quinn, much in the same way she'd witnessed Abbey do on more than one occasion, then dangled the shoes between his fingers. "They look like miniature ballet slippers." Damn him...they were ridiculously precious. "And besides," he continued by tossing them into his lap and taking off for nearest cashier, "in a few weeks I'll be her Godfather which gives me the authority, under some obscure holy law, to spoil her rotten."

Quinn bit back her laughter, because really, he was being totally infuriating...and utterly adorable. "Whatever," she returned with an indifferent shrug, then broke out into a wide grin, "because as soon as you're done paying for those, Mister, we are so going upstairs to the young men's department."

Artie knew his time was up. Between Caroline and Abbey, he'd already blown through almost forty dollars. It was bad enough that date night on Friday was probably going to consist of whatever his mom was making for dinner, followed by popcorn and a movie in all the splendor of the family room couch, but now, he was still expected to go shop for himself.

"Hold up...they make capris for dudes?"

Quinn was vaguely curious about how her boyfriend...wow, that was going to take some getting used to...became familiar enough with the term 'capri' to actually use it correctly, but quickly shrugged that thought away.

"I think they're technically called three-quarter pants, but yeah, it's pretty much the same concept," she replied, carefully gauging his response. When he didn't give one, Quinn motioned to the mannequin behind her, adorned in denim Bermudas, t-shirt, and a plaid top, "Or you could go with this style."

Artie frowned and grumbled, "Looks like something right out of Finn's closet."

Quinn glanced over her shoulder again. Shit, it really did. "They come in khaki too," she suggested apologetically and grabbed for the nearest pair of Bermuda's she could find.

Artie compared the two items Quinn was holding. Sure, he was a tiny dude, but the Bermuda's were shorts and would probably only hit him right at the knee. The cropped pair would definitely go past, yet still qualify as 'proper summer attire'. They were a bit more 'cargo' than he would have liked, but he picked them anyway. "I'll get those."

Quinn smiled triumphantly and dropped the item into Artie's lap, then took off through the maze of racks in search of something to wear them with. "I know you already have an impressive collection of t-shirts, especially for someone who wears dress shirts nearly every single day of his life," she intoned, pulling a snug fitting, short sleeved, v-neck Henley, out from behind her back, "But I think this would look _really_ nice on you."

The way she emphasized her words caught Artie's attention, and he looked up to find her staring. Whether she was just pleased with her amazing fashion choice or truly liked what she saw when she imagined him in this outfit, wasn't entirely clear, but Artie decided right then and there that he'd wear just about anything if it got Quinn to keep looking at him like that.

Leaning forward, she held the shirt up against his chest. Their eyes locked and for a split second Artie suddenly forgot how to breathe. "This deep shade of gray has a lot of blue in it that will totally accentuate your eyes."

It sounded like something that would come out of Kurt's mouth, but Artie was only able to focus on the sultry whisper that came from Quinn and the way her warm breath tickled his ear. "I like it," he managed to gasp out.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Her smile widened and she continued to move forward until their lips were only inches apart...

"Can we go get a pretzel now?"

Quinn's forehead dropped onto Artie's shoulder and they both started to giggle. "In a few minutes," she announced as she straightened up and turned toward Abbey, "we just need to hit the shoe section first."

And before he knew it, Quinn was behind his chair. "I have plenty of shoes Quinn," he balked in protest, but kept his hands clasped securely in his lap. She was kind of pushing him at breakneck speed.

It was obvious to anyone who had seen Artie Abrams on a daily basis, that he seemed to have amassed quite an array of pairs over the past few years, though not nearly as big as his vintage rock tee collection, but far more than he actually needed...especially for someone in his particular situation.

"Yeah, but nothing that will go with this outfit," she argued, pulling him to a stop in front of the men's tennis shoes. Quinn placed her hands on her hips and gave him a pointed glare. "This look isn't exactly orthopedic loafer chic."

Artie couldn't help but agree, especially after glancing down at the dark colored runners he was currently wearing. Then he remembered what was hidden away in the back of his closet. "Would the white Converse we wear for Glee club performances work?"

"Perfectly," Quinn returned enthusiastically. Artie smiled back at her, not only had he avoided busting the bank, but he also saved himself the humiliation of having a salesperson fumble to make his unresponsive feet fit into shoes he wouldn't be able to feel anyway. "Now you just need some new socks that aren't calf length, or argyle," she added, and a minute later, tossed a pack of low-cut anklets to the pile on his lap. "Now we're done."

"I um, can't wear these," Artie stated, looking down at the package.

"Why not?" she asked, more than just a little curious.

"They're too short, and tight," he answered, fingering the trim for emphasis. Even if his ankles were probably not much larger than her wrists, any type of elastic digging into his skin was a definite no-no.

"So? Just wear the shoes without socks" Quinn suggested casually as she placed the package back on the peg.

"Can't do that either," Artie intoned, almost apologetically. He could almost hear his mothers voice filtering through his head, lecturing about rough canvas and stitching and seams that cause blisters and pressure sores that lead to infection and...

She'd never thought that picking out socks would be such an issue for him. Maybe that was why he was so reluctant to buy summer clothes in the first place. "It's okay," Quinn's soft voice rang out, "we'll figure something out." Even if that meant popping into Target on their way home to pick up a package of those basic white quarter socks with the soft cotton band around the ankle instead of elastic.

Artie flashed Quinn an appreciative smile, which quickly turned into a chuckle when Caroline began to fuss. "But right now I think we all need to get out of this store."

...

After Artie made his, hopefully last, major purchase of the day, the quartet strolled back out into the mall in search of their snack...which if judging by their noses, was just around the next corner.

There was much debate about who should pay. Artie argued that his mother gave him money for this very situation, but little did he know that she also slipped Quinn a twenty as well. Quinn won out in the end and payed for their treat, consisting of five pretzels, two drinks, one for Abbey and one for her and Artie to share, as well as an assortment of dipping sauces.

"Do you mind if I go in there?" Quinn asked, pointing to the store on her left as they were just about to pass it.

Artie looked up at the sign. Sure, he was comfortable enough with his masculinity to escort Quinn inside, but he really didn't need his little sister tattling to their mother that 'Artie went into the bra store'. "Sure, I'll stay out here with the girls." He spied a seating area a little farther down and motioned over to it. "We'll be right over there."

As soon as they got settled, Abbey dug into her treat while Artie carefully scooped Caroline out of her car seat and into his lap. "Aren't you gonna eat yours?" Abbey was able to ask amidst all of her chewing.

"In a bit," Artie chuckled in reply, then glanced down at the bottle he was holding, "just as soon as Caroline is done with this."'

Though logical, Abbey wasn't all that satisfied with her brothers reasoning. She took pity on him moments later and broke off a piece of her own pretzel to share with him. "Thanks."

"Your welcome," Abbey beamed, turning on her heel to return to her seat. But as she did, she misjudged it's stability and ended up with lemonade all over her lap.

"I'm sorry Artie."

"That's okay Squirt," he assured her as he gently pulled the bottle from Caroline's mouth and shifted her onto his shoulder so he'd have at least one hand free. "Just use the napkins that came with the pretzels."

Abbey looked inside the bag next to her. "There aren't any."

Artie began to search through the diaper bag, but couldn't find an extra burp cloth either. "I'll go get some napkins," he offered before snapping Caroline back into her seat. "Here," he added, handing her the small pink towel that was draped across his shoulder, "use this in the meantime."

"But it smells like baby spit," she returned with a wrinkle of her nose.

"Fine," Artie sighed, "just keep an eye on Caroline. I'll be right back."

He was only gone a minute, and only took his eyes off the pair for a second while he was forced to ask the kid behind the smoothie counter for the napkins because they were out of his reach. So when he turned back to see a familiar form walking up to Caroline's stroller, he wasn't surprised.

But maybe he should have been.

"Hey Noah, what's up?"

"What's up?," Puck shouted back, causing Artie to flinch. "What's up is that I come to mall on my fucking break to...that's none of your business...to find your kid sister sitting alone with my daughter."

"I was right over there," Artie pointed behind his shoulder, "getting some napkins."

"Napkins? That's your excuse for leaving my kid with...how old is she anyway...seven...?"

"She's eight," Artie cut in, but his honesty only seemed to fuel Puck's rage, and he stiffened defensively. "But I was barely fifteen feet away, and could see them the entire time."

"That's great that your fucking eyes work, but what the hell were you gonna do if it was somebody else walking off with my kid?" he challenged loudly.

Artie's heart sank. Suddenly his mind drifted back to that time Abbey got separated from them at the grocery store, when she was three. That terrified him so much, he didn't let her out of his sight again until she six. Sure everything turned out okay then...but what if it hadn't? And what if it hadn't been Puck, this time?

"That's enough Noah."

Puck spun on his heel to face Quinn. Neither boy had heard her walk up to them, nor had they noticed how long she'd been standing there. "And where the hell were you all this time?"

"In there, trying to find a comfortable nursing bra that fits," she countered bitingly.

"Why didn't you just take her with you?" Noah snarled as he motioned to Caroline.

"Because I didn't need to," Quinn answered, glancing down and to her right. "I trust Artie."

"You trust a fucking cripple to take care of our daughter?"

"I said that was enough," Quinn managed to ground out under her breath, before her throat constricted.

"Why are you always defending him?" Puck demanded smugly. "You feel bad for the poor gimp nerd...or maybe..." he paused, watching as Quinn slowly lowered her eyes. "Wait...you like him?"

"Of course she likes him," Abbey blurted assertively, even though her eyes glistening with tears. "She's his girlfriend."

"You're dating him?"

Puck incredulous jab was followed by Artie's even more surprised, "You didn't tell him?"

Quinn took in a steadying breath and focused on her words. There was a small crowd of people starting to gather, but all she wanted to do was explain herself to Artie. "Everything happened kinda fast...I mean, we've been dating two weeks now..." It was clear that any attempt at an apology was futile. His expression turned pained and his eyes drifted down to the floor, bringing Quinn to kneel down beside him. "...and have yet to tell our other friends..."

"I did," he muttered in reply, eyes slowly lifting, but never meeting hers. "Tweeted about it as soon as we got home from our first date."

It was Quinn's turn to be shocked. How did she not know this? Oh yeah...she was having too much fun with Artie to be bothered with anything else.

"Real rich Fabray," Puck managed to snicker while thinking of a way to get current with the trends without laying his life story out for the whole world to see. Who the fuck would actually care if his dog has fleas?

"It's not like you've been around enough to notice anyway," Quinn shot back over her shoulder.

"Oh, is that how we're gonna play this little game?" he queried, not bothering to wait for a reply. "Fine. You want me around? I'll be around, tomorrow night 6pm. Have her bag packed."

"You can't," Quinn cried out as she stood up. "It's not your weekend."

"Maybe it should be," he challenged. "In fact maybe I should have every weekend from now on...ya know, so you two love birds can have some time alone."

Quinn glared at him, "That's not fair Noah, we have an agreement."

"Well I'm not happy with that agreement any more," he countered pointedly. "She's my kid too and I think I should have more say or whatever in how she's raised." Puck squared his shoulders and added, "Tomorrow, six sharp," before stalking off.

"Noah," Quinn called after him. "Noah!" With a heavy sigh she turned back to the traumatized pair, "Artie...I'm so sor..."

He cut her of with a tug of his chair, "Can we just get out of here, please."

Quinn couldn't even manage a nod, all she could do was follow silently behind.

**_ANx2...OMG, I must apologize first for this chapter. I never intended for it to get this out of hand. I have this tiny little idea in my head and suddenly my muse takes over and runs away with it. Which brings me to my second point, the lack of an update for last week. You see, said muse created such chaos, that I ended up having to rewrite much of what I had(they were only supposed to go shopping together, but then my muse decided to bring Puck along...well, you get the picture). And because of that, I now need to continue this into the next chapter. Sorry about that._**

**_As a side though, I'd really love to rant about the last two episodes, but this AN is way too long as it is. _**

**_Enjoy!~_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**An authors note...Love you guys! Your reviews mean so much to me, Thanks. P**__**lease remind me to never listen to my muse again. Whenever I do, it only seems to blow up in my face. Because I had to split this into two chapters, there were some very important matters left open and somewhat confusing. I apologize for that and promise that all of those...okay, maybe not all **__**of them...but the majority, will be resolved. So with that being said, I give you the second part of the previous chapter.**_

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The ride home was filled with an awkward quiet, one that was only broken by the occasional sniffle coming from Abbey.

Alicia glanced up from the mail she was sorting as soon as she heard the door open. "I wasn't expecting you guys home so early," she called out, "I don't have anything prepared for lunch yet, Andy ate a late breakfast before we ran to the sports shop, but I can whip up some sandwiches if you're hungry now." The cheerfulness of her words faded when she saw the morose looking trio enter the kitchen.

Without any acknowledgement what-so-ever, or even a pause in his movements, Artie tossed his shopping bag onto the table and headed in the direction of his bedroom. Quinn followed, pushing the bag out of the way to make room for Caroline's car seat, while Abbey slumped down into the chair next to her.

"Shopping trip not go very well?" Alicia queried gently.

"Something like that," Quinn returned with a drawn out sigh. She glanced up to see Mrs. Abrams gazing imploringly at her. "It actually wasn't all that bad until we ran into Noah," there was a slight hesitation on Quinn's part, "or more precisely, he ran into us...almost literally in fact."

Alicia turned concerned and was just about to ask exactly what had happened to make her son wordlessly flee to his room and the two girls look like they were about to break down at any second, when Abbey quickly provided the answer for her. "Oh Mommy, it was terrible. Noah was so angry and kept using really, _really _bad words...he yelled at Quinn and then he called Artie those mean names that make you cry." With shinning eyes, she glanced up at her mother and admitted, "They made me cry too.

Mrs. Abrams let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she lowered her head into her tented hands. She was well aware that this sort of thing still happened...probably much more often than Artie ever let on...but because she wasn't there to witness it or he wasn't coming home upset about it, she could stay in her little fantasy bubble and pretend that everyone saw her son for the wonderful person that he was and treated him accordingly.

Until now.

"Alicia, I'm so sorry," Quinn intoned pleadingly. "I don't know what got into Noah. He just totally went off on Artie..."

"What about?" she cut in questioningly.

Quinn ducked her head and busied herself with getting her impatient daughter out of her car seat.

"Noah doesn't want Artie watching Caroline." Apparently, the affliction known as word vomit affected the youngest Abrams just as much as it did her eldest brother. "And he doesn't like that him and Quinn are dating."

"Is this true Quinn?" Alicia pressed gently.

"I don't know," she answered with a incredulous sigh and a shake of the head. "I don't know anything anymore...all I know is that he told me to have Caroline ready at her regular time tomorrow and threatened to take her every weekend from now on."

Alicia could see how much this was upsetting the young mother. "You know he can't do that Quinn..."

"But he'll be eighteen in a week," she cut in, her tone panicky. "That means he'll be an adult and..."

It was then Alicia remembered that Noah was older than the rest of his class because he had failed a grade previously. She gently placed her hand on Quinn's shoulder. "That doesn't matter Honey. We're her legal guardians, Noah signed off on that. He also signed a binding document regarding custody arrangements...and he can't just change that."

"But what if he tries?" Quinn asked desperately. "What if he just takes her tomorrow and never brings her back?" She was crying now...hard.

"We're not going to let that happen," Alicia assured, wrapping her arms around both Quinn and Caroline. She felt the girl nod, but waited for her shuttering to lessen before releasing her hold.

Quinn pulled back, looked Alicia straight in the eye, and nodded again. "I think I need to go talk to Artie."

...

Artie didn't bother acknowledging the rapping on his bedroom door. And as expected, watched as she walked in a few seconds later, with Caroline in her arms.

"Quinn go to work?" he asked returning his attention to the book he had open in his lap, even though he was never actually reading it.

Alicia didn't reply, just nodded and took a seat on the edge of his mattress. "She came to talk to you before she left, but you never answered."

"I was probably in the bathroom."

"For two hours?" Alicia countered, making Artie shift uncomfortably. "She tried three times," his mother added, but didn't get a response this time. He just sat there staring at his lap. "You know I don't like it when you lock your door."

"I know," Artie grumbled under his breath as he pulled himself up to rest higher against the headboard. "I just didn't feel like talking."

Alicia let out a heavy sigh, it pained her to see him like this. "Whatever problems you're having with Quinn and Noah is between the three of you. I won't get involved unless you want me to," she assured him before motioning over to Caroline. "But Dad and I are her legal guardians and we need to make sure she's in a safe, loving environment and that all of her best interests are being met."

Artie nodded and Alicia could tell he was trying hard not to smile at the sweet gurgling noises coming from the baby he was watching so intently. "With that being said, I am still your mother and have full authority to ream out anyone who has the audacity to insult you like that."

Artie gave and indifferent shrug as he brought his hand up to touch the soft pink coverings on Caroline's feet...she was wearing the shoes he bought for her that morning. "He's kind of right you know."

"Honey, don't say...,"

"Can we please not do this right now Mom?" Artie cut in pleadingly, forcing Alicia to acquiesce with only a simple nod. As much as she hated doing so, her son wasn't a little boy anymore. She needed to respect that and let him handle his issues in his own way.

"Dinner's almost ready," she informed him a few seconds later as she slowly got to her feet.

"I'm not really that hungry."

Artie's soft counter reply caused Alicia to turn to face him. "You didn't eat lunch either," she pointed out, trying not to sound as concerned as she was. Artie gave another noncommittal shrug and turned his gaze back to his lap. Keeping true to her word, Alicia added, "Hungry or not, you did promise your sister you'd take her swimming after."

Artie glanced up at her and nodded. Alicia smiled back, gently cupping his cheek in her hand. She'd turned on her heel and almost made it to the door when he called out to her. Glancing over her shoulder, Alicia waited as Artie let out a slight sigh of resignation before propping himself up into a sitting position. And his lips spread into a small smile when he said, "Tell Abbey to save my spot at the table."

...

It was later than usual when Quinn got home from work. She'd finally accepted the standing invitation to go out for coffee with the other instructors, thinking a night out would give her the chance to clear her mind and forget all of her problems. But being away from Caroline and not telling anyone where she was going only made her feel guilty...so she left.

The light in the kitchen was still on, which wasn't all that unusual, only surprising, given the room was currently empty. Quinn dropped her car keys in the basket by the entry and continued through the room when Artie suddenly rounded the corner and skidded to a halt in front of her.

"I was just about to text you," he gasped by way of greeting. That much was obvious from the powered up cell phone that was sitting on his thigh.

"I went out with the girls," she replied with a sheepish shrug.

Artie smirked as his eyes drifted over to the large cup of blended coffee drink in her hand. "I figured."

Quinn followed his gaze and couldn't help but match the smile he was giving her. Again with the obvious. "I saved some for you."

"Thanks."

And there they stood, just starring at one another until Artie removed the phone from his lap and placed it on the kitchen island. Quinn did the same with her cup, then dropped into his waiting lap. They silently held each other for a few minutes, Quinn savoring the feeling of being wrapped up in his strong arms before she finally spoke. "I'm sorry Artie."

He let out a light chuckle, "For what?" Quinn pulled back to glare at him incredulously, but his only response was playful roll of his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's not your fault Puck's a jerk?"

Quinn managed a small smile before letting out a aggravated sigh. "Well he is, and he had no right to say those awful things to you...especially in front of Abbey."

She was fairly certain that was what upset Artie the most and the dejected expression he wore, only confirmed it. "But you defended me," he countered in a whisper while resting his forehead against hers. Artie kept his eyes cast down when he admitted, "The only other people who have ever done that for me are my parents, my sister...and occasionally, Mr. Schue."

Wordlessly, Quinn ran her fingers through Artie's hair, still damp from his recent shower. She inhaled deeply, which not only kept her bubbling emotions at bay, but also let her savor the scents that were eminating from him...a unique blend of clean and musk, with just a hint of lingering chlorine. "You went swimming with Abbey," she giggled into his ear, and at his nod, feigned a pout, "I wish I could've gone with you guys."

"Me too," Artie whispered, grinning as he pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck. That made her shiver. "There's always tomorrow," he added, his tone turning casual, without loosing the slight suggestiveness of his words. Artie made quick work returning his phone to his lap and her cup to her hand, but not without taking a long pull from the straw first. Quinn chuckled and decided that she wouldn't worry about tomorrow until it came time to...right now she was going to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride as she let her boyfriend wheel them both out into the family room.

...

Artie, Abbey and Caroline did a good job of keeping Quinn distracted throughout the day on Friday, but as the hours ticked by, her anxiety began to increase. So it wasn't a surprise when she jump at the sound of the doorbell.

"He's early," Quinn gasped, looking at the clock. It was only 5:30, Noah wasn't scheduled for visitation until six, and he was always late for everything.

"I called and asked him to come a little early so we could talk before he takes the baby," Alicia told her reassuringly, but it was the squeeze Artie gave her hand that calmed her the most.

The pair lingered back as Alicia answered the door. "Noah, please come in."

"Where's Caroline?" he asked, a little too gruffly as he stepped into the house.

"In the family room with Abbey," Mrs. Abrams motioned casually as they passed by. Abbey glanced over her shoulder at the sound of her name, but quickly returned her attention back to her toys after seeing big, bad, Noah Puckerman standing in the hallway.

They moved into the kitchen where Artie, Quinn and Art were already settled. "I asked you here today because it seems some issues have come up regarding visitation," Alicia intoned, using a no nonscense approach and getting right down to business.

Artie couldn't help but smirk..._So much for not getting involved, Mom._

"I just wanna see my kid more often," Puck countered defensively.

"That's understandable Noah...and very admirable," Alicia continued, "but demanding visitation and threatening her mother, is not the way to do it." Artie could tell his mother was itching to include what Noah had said to him, and he let out a small sigh of relief when she didn't. "We all agreed after Caroline was born, that you would get her every Friday evening so she could celebrate your Sabbath with your family and we would have her on Sunday mornings to celebrate ours, as well as trading off every other Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It's worked out fine for the past few weeks...what's changed since then?"

Artie cringed and shifted uncomfortably..._Wow Mom, way to work on being subtle._

"Nothin'," Noah grumbled indifferently, and added a quick half-shrug filled with attitude. There was a long pause before he let out a grunt and sat up straighter in his seat. "I mean everything," he amended, but thankfully didn't look in the direction of the pair sitting across from him. "I mean I know she's only two months old, but already I feel like I've missed out on so much." He hated sounding like a whiny bitch, but fuck it...he was pissed. "Like when she smiled for the first time, all I got was an e-mailed picture," with this he looked up to meet Quinn's eyes, "or when she first slept through night, yeah I found out by text, but not til three days later. And now you said she's trying to roll over..."

She did that...today," Artie's soft voice cut in and all eyes flickered over to him. "She can get from her tummy to her back, but then she gets stuck. She doesn't like being on her back."

"See what I mean," Noah spat pointedly.

"So then you're jealous of Artie because he gets to share in all these moments?" It sounded like a question but no one was really sure if Quinn had directed it toward Noah, or was just thinking out loud. But then she added, "Is that all it is, or are you actually jealous because Artie and I are dating."

Puck let out an indignant snort. "Look, I'm not jealous of nobody, and if you wanna get it on here with Wh..."

"Puck," Artie called out before Noah could do anymore damage. He wasn't sure what would be worse, having his mother find out that Puck's affectionately misguided nickname for him was 'Wheels' or having to learn what her interpretation of 'getting it on' was. "Listen, I don't want to overstep my boundaries here." Oh the irony in that. "You're Caroline's dad, and I respect that. I'm not pretending to be anything other than what I am...but you gotta know that I care about her and would do anything to keep her safe. And if that meant mowing down some creep in a shopping mall or throwing myself in front of a moving train...then I'd do that for her." Artie paused and glanced briefly over at Quinn before adding, "For both of them."

Quinn gaped at Artie with wide watery eyes. She couldn't believe how beautiful and sincere his little speech was. Apparently neither could Alicia considering she was now busy trying to sop up the tear tracks from her cheeks...even Art had to cough away the small lump that had developed in his throat.

Noah had no choice but to give in to the grin of approval tugging at his lips. He tipped his head at Artie in an appreciative nod...anyone who vowed to give their life for his child and her mother, was pretty damn solid in his book. Maybe he had overreacted a bit, "Sorry about yesterday, Dude."

Artie accepted Puck's apology as well as his outstretched hand with a nod of his own. Quinn sniffled back her tears and shot Noah a small smile of thanks.

"Ya know if you guys have plans tonight, I can always keep her a little later," he offered almost immediately and Quinn's mind suddenly flashed back to the somewhat irrational fear she had expressed to Alicia the day before. Looking over at her mother figure for some form of guidance, she received a simple, but encouraging smile.

"Ah, no plans really," Artie was first to reply, sighing dejectedly when he remembered he'd spent all of his cash during their little shopping spree yesterday, "we were just gonna hang out here tonight..."

"But we could probably catch a movie or something," Quinn countered, happy to override her boyfriends plans with a suggestion of her own. She then turned to Noah and asked, "Would ten be okay?"

The famous Puckerman smirk returned and he nodded before rising to his feet.

"Hey Noah," Artie called out, halting the boys steps. "If you ever wanted to come over during the week to see Caroline...," he hesitated slightly, then glanced over at his mother, "I'm sure my Mom wouldn't mind if you stayed for dinner."

It was obvious by the grin she was giving her son, that she wouldn't. "Just let me know ahead of time so I can have an extra place set at the table."

"Thanks Mrs. A...I appreciate it," Puck replied, using manners no one knew he had.

Alicia smiled back, then offered to help Noah get Caroline ready. But before she left the room, she glanced over her shoulder at Artie and Quinn and grinned, "Looks like you two are going out tonight after all."

**ANx2...I just have to say that all the recent Quartieness on this site is making my head spin. Huge shout out to DryadSpeaks and Violet-Shadow...way to spread the Quartie love guys! **


	5. Chapter 5

_**An authors note...To all the readers and especially those who left a review, thank you. Just knowing that people are enjoying this piece means so much to me. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**_

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The month of July had always been a favorite for the Abrams family, but for the past eight years, it fell into the bittersweet category for most of them. Alicia turned into a basket case for the better part of the first two weeks. Art tended to overcompensate with forced cheerfulness and distracting activities. And Artie just dreaded it all.

So when Quinn announced in early June that the students at the dance studio were going to be marching in the fourth of July parade this year, Artie waited for the ball to drop. But instead of breaking down like he expected his mother to do, she simply turned to Abbey, smiling a little wistfully as she asked the little girl if she was excited about that. And when she declared less than a week later, that they would be hosting the annual barbecue at their house after the parade, he almost choked on the grilled chicken he was eating.

Still dealing with the Puck drama from the week before and party preparations, July fourth crept up on all of them. The morning of, Artie was in the living room getting Caroline dressed in her patriotic themed outfit. The matching bib and sock set printed with the phrase 'Made in the USA' was a gift from Noah.

"Oh my God...you two look like twins," Quinn's giggle could be heard from directly over his shoulder.

Artie placed one arm protectively around Caroline and used the other to turn his chair around. "Almost," he countered as he affixed an elastic headband to the baby's head before placing one of Abbey's on his. "There, now we're twins."

Quinn took one look at the large red glitter stars bobbing atop his head and collapsed into a fit of laughter. "Adorable," she gasped out between breaths.

"Yeah she is, isn't she," Artie returned playfully, lifting Caroline up in the air so they bumped noses. "Just like her Mommy."

His second declaration came out much more soft and timid than the first, which made it that much sweeter. Quinn blushed and shifted in her black, sequin studded costume just the same. "I was talking about you," she quipped, tugging a little self-consciously at her snug fitting spandex dress, "because well, she's always adorable."

But before Artie could put on his best wounded puppy dog pout, Abbey came waltzing in the room. "Artie, you're dressed wrong." He glanced down a his red t-shirt, navy 'man capris', white sock/Converse combo and shrugged innocently. "It's supposed to be red, _white_ and blue," she corrected, gesturing pointedly at their parents. Art fit the requirement with his red and white striped polo paired with navy shorts, while Alicia really mastered the look with her red tank top, white shorts and denim flats.

He eyed the lime green and hot pink sparkly get up, complete with a fluffy tutu thing attached to the back, she was dressed in. "What about you?" he queried teasingly.

"I'm in costume silly," she replied back, giving Artie no choice but to happily concede.

He had been warned in advance not to break dress code, and came prepared. "Is this okay?" he asked, shifting his body to the side to reveal his white piano key belt around his waist. "It's the best I could do."

Abbey hesitated for a moment before breaking out into a wide smile and nodding.

Once the laughter died down, Quinn declared it was probably time for her and Abbey to leave. Alicia agreed and suggested the rest of them do the same, "to ensure they get a good seat." Artie held back the retort that he already had a good seat, fearing it might ruin his mothers good mood, which would in turn ruin his...and after seeing his girlfriend dressed in that little black dress, he wasn't about to let that happen.

...

Quinn was feeling nervous, which seemed ridiculous considering she'd been marching in this parade with various groups, every year, since she was four years old.

The pair had just reached their group when a bobbing blond ponytail flashed in front of them. Suddenly, they were both enveloped in a giant bear hug. Brittany was squealing with delight, muttering over and over again how she couldn't believe Caroline was so big already. Then, as quickly as she came, Brit was gone...leaving Quinn laughing and Abbey starring up at her in confusion.

Quinn made sure to get Abbey situated with her class before heading over to practice the saucy jazz number the group of instructors were planning on performing. It was a routine she could practically do in her sleep, but having Santana Lopez and Coach Sylvester glaring daggers at her from across the street, was making it difficult to concentrate. She did her best to ignore them and soon enough, with bullhorn blaring, the McKinley high marching band took off, hot on the heels of the famed Cheerios.

It wouldn't be hard to spot Artie among the mass of people who had accumulated on either side of the street. And Quinn was surprised that when she finally did notice him about halfway into the parade route, it wasn't his chair that she saw first, but that obnoxious headband thing sticking out above the seated crowd.

As they neared, she glanced over her shoulder to see Abbey beaming excitedly...she must have spotted them too. Cradling Caroline in his lap, Artie cheered, whistled and wildly waived the flag he was holding in his other hand. Art was armed with the video camera while Alicia had her large professional grade, in one hand and compact digital in the other. Upon further inspection, Quinn could see Alicia's parents, siblings and their families sitting with them. Only Andy and his cousin Ian were off to the side, ignoring everyone else as they engrossed themselves in their handheld video games.

Everyone else looked so embarrassingly happy to see both girls that Quinn would have rolled her eyes at the utter ridiculousness of the situation, if the sentiment behind it didn't mean so damn much to her. Her own mother would always sit with her haughty group of peers, shielded by her huge golf umbrella and expensive sunglasses, wait for Quinn to pass with no acknowledgement of her what so ever, then promptly make her way back to her car...and that was only on the years she decided to actually make an appearance.

Instead, Quinn smiled brightly as she signaled the float director to start the music. She made sure that Abbey's group got the opportunity to perform their little number directly in front of her very enthusiastic family, for strictly selfish purposes...she wanted to memory of seeing the pride and joy on their faces as they watched.

That warm feeling stuck with her for the rest of the parade and after, at least until...

"Q."

She turned around slowly, eyes trained to the ground.

"I have to admit, I was surprised to see you out there today," there was a pause and Quinn could just picture the judgemental smirk playing across Coach Sylvester's lips, "even more surprised to see your leg go up that high so soon after having to squeeze a human being out of your lady parts."

"What would you like Ms. Sylvester?" she asked crisply, adding an exaggerated sigh of annoyance for good measure.

Sue raised her brow appreciatively. "Just a minute of your time," then came the widening grin and Quinn knew the conniving cheer coach definitely had something up her sleeve, "I think you will find it very worth your while."

...

Considering the majority of the guest list was already present at the parade, the Abrams fourth of July barbecue began immediately upon the family's arrival back home. And having those twenty hungry guests was the just the diversion Quinn needed to push the short, slightly disconcerting conversation she had with Coach Sylvester to the back of her mind.

Watching Artie being so cute with little cousins didn't hurt either.

The men were out on the deck, manning the grill, while the ladies chatted over appetisers and lemonade in the kitchen. Artie seemed torn at first but ultimately chose to stay inside and feed Caroline, though Quinn suspected he may have just been using that as an excuse to stay close to the munchies.

"Alicia, this dip is delicious," her sister Bridget exclaimed. "I'm definitely going to need that recipe."

"Which?," Alicia asked, and her smile widened reflexively as the dip in question is pointed to. "Oh, Quinn made that one." From across the center island, Quinn glanced up to see all eyes on her and it made her blush. "And most of the desserts."

"But Artie helped with chocolate chip cookies and brownies," Abbey beamed proudly.

"Yeah...helped eat them," Quinn quipped, in a tone that was a playful blend of sarcasm and teasing.

Upon hearing his name given up by his accomplice, Artie slowly lifted his head. Quinn nearly doubled over with giggles when she saw how puffy his cheeks were...his mouth was so full, he looked like a chipmunk. A sweet, adorable, eyeglass wearing, chipmunk. Quinn mused that after today, her new nickname for him might have to be Simon.

Managing only a lopsided, but completely innocent grin, Artie resumed chewing and let his female family members have their good natured laugh. He didn't mind, in fact, he kind of liked it. He always did feel more comfortable in their presence as opposed to the males in his family, especially after the accident, though he never outwardly admitted it. And that thought alone resulted in a slight flush of embarrassment.

Alicia noticed Artie reaction but misinterpreted the reason and hurried to take the focus off of him. "Quinn also helped Art with the decorations, vacuumed, dusted, cleaned all of the bathrooms, did the laundry and went grocery shopping for me."

Colleen, Alicia's youngest sister scoffed playfully, "Damn Sis...where can I get myself one of these?"

"Sorry Aunt Coll, you can't have her," Artie countered teasingly, "she's ours." He had obviously recovered from his momentary lapse of self-confidence, but upon looking up a Quinn to find her brow raised speculatively and hand planted firmly on jutted hip, immediately regressed. "Not to say that you _belong_ to us in any way," Artie stammered out apologetically, "I mean..."

"I do kind of belong to you," Quinn cut in with a slightly dismissive shrug and great big smile as she crossed the distance between them. "At least my heart does," she whispered into his ear before playfully perching herself on the arm of his chair.

It was the first real declaration either of them had made, and it caught Artie totally off guard. It wasn't until Quinn wrapped her arms around his shoulders and placed a soft kiss to the side of his head that he was finally able to lift his eyes to meet hers. Once he saw that there were no reservations, no regret in the words she'd just uttered, it gave him the confidence he needed to respond with his own whispered confession, "You've always had mine."

That touched Quinn so deeply, and she flashed him a small smile before leaning in to capture his lips. He tasted sweet and salty, like carrots and corn chips, with just a hint of taco...her dip.

A chorus of "awwws" rang out, which promptly reminded the two that they weren't alone. The unmistakable sound of shutters flashing broke the two apart, but Quinn made no attempt to move. Instead, she rested her cheek against Artie's head, and simply posed for the pictures.

Luckily, before Artie could get any more embarrassed, Alicia announced it was time to eat and ushered everyone outside.

...

"Artie, Quinn, come on...," Abbey called from the doorway.

"Shh," Artie hushed over his shoulder.

"But it's almost time for sparklers," she implored anxiously, though her tone was much, much softer.

Smiling, Quinn called back, "We'll be right out," then proceeded to lay Caroline down into the family room cradle.

"We could just stay here with her if you'd like," Artie offered as he placed a light blanket over the slumbering baby.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Quinn returned casually.

"What if the fireworks wake her up?" Artie asked next, obviously concerned.

"It's barely dark outside yet, there probably wont even be any fireworks for at least another hour," Quinn scoffed playfully, but she could see he was still skeptical. "Besides, we'll be right outside," she added, holding up the baby monitor for reassurance, "it's not like we won't be able to hear her if she does wake up."

He conceded with a nod and after taking one more reluctant glance over his shoulder, followed Quinn out the front door. Before the pair could even made it down to the driveway, Abbey was handing them the illuminated crackling sticks. "I hate sparklers," Artie grumbled.

Quinn couldn't help but giggle at the awkward way Artie was stretching to keep the firework as far away from him as possible. "Why?"

"It's stupid," he replied, shrugging dismissively. He'd had enough challenges to his masculinity today, he didn't need his girlfriend thinking he was a total wuss.

But when Quinn countered with, "Nothing you ever tell me is stupid," and gently lowered herself to his lap, he couldn't hold back...or contain the soft sigh of relief that escaped his lips after the sparkler finally died out.

"It was the first fourth after the accident," he started out hesitant, and very, very quiet, "We were at my Grandparents. They bought sparklers for all the kids, and everyone was running around chasing one another. Andy and my cousin Ian thought it would be funny to try to poke my legs with theirs... and almost set my shorts on fire." Artie let out a short chuckle to cover up his shutter. "I had nightmares about that for months after."

"Oh my God Artie, that's awful," Quinn gasped in disbelief and protectively wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "What happened?"

"Nothing really. I had one tiny little burn mark on my left knee," Artie paused then broke out into a widening grin. "Mom was furious though...I don't think Andy was allowed out of his room for an entire week."

Artie smiling made Quinn smile and those lips were just too close to hers to resist. She pressed her lips to his, lingering there for the longest kiss they'd managed so far...seven seconds. After they broke apart and Quinn immediately lowered her head and began giggling. "What?" Artie asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and concern. Maybe he wasn't a good kisser...not that she'd ever complained before, but it wasn't as though they'd had a whole lot of experience in that department yet.

"Mom's watching us again," she murmured into his neck.

"Sorry," he groaned apologetically.

"No, it's kind of cute," Quinn intoned, picking her head up to glance over her shoulder. "I don't think I've ever seen her so happy before."

Only dead air followed, and Quinn had to glance back to make sure Artie was still breathing. "That's not gonna last you know," he warned somberly. "Things are gonna get weird around here real soon."

I was obvious to what he was implying and Quinn regarded him for a moment before nodding. "I know," she returned, pulling him closer so that she was resting her cheek on the top of his head. After a few more strained minutes went by, Quinn pulled back to look him in the eye. "What about you...are you gonna be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

"Not very much conviction behind those words."

Damn, she was perceptive.

"Of course it's gonna suck...it always does," he returned with a drawn out sigh and dismissive shrug. "But I can't dwell on that. You've got to make the most of what you're given, right?"

Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat and flashed a watery smile as she nodded. "I'd like to make the most of what I've got, right now," she whispered...and leaning back into his lips, did just that.

**_ANx2...Sorry, this took me forever to post. I suppose it's pretty obvious as to what the next chapter will be about. I actually have two different chapters prepared, one I intended for this year, and the other I planned to use for the next anniversary(ten years), but I'm curious to see which one you as readers, would rather see. Choice #1: All of the details about the accident are revealed to Artie, or Choice #2: Artie pays a long awaited visit to someone directly involved(will probably not be who you think it is). If you feel so inclined, please leave a note in your review or a PM as to which you are interested is reading. Thanks!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**An authors note...The last chapter definitely held clues of what is to come, kudos to those who picked up on that! I've been wondering if the reason interest in this story is waning so considerably is just because it's progressing a little slowly, and hopefully not because people are unhappy with it(or me). Which is why I also feel the need to apologize for any confusion resulting from the last chapter. I only asked opinions because I love reader involvement and am very curious about what you'd like to see in this story. I thank those of you who were kind enough to leave me those messages. I appreciate all the support and feedback.**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Just as Artie predicted, the mood in the house had completely changed, almost overnight, and seemed to be fading more and more with each passing day.

Alicia became quieter than usual, withdrawn and overly emotional. Anything could potentially bring her to tears, a particular song, a television commercial...the simple sight of Artie entering the room. Quinn caught Alicia on more than one occasion, having to turn away so her son wouldn't see her wipe her eyes.

Art was harder to read. One minute he was laughing and making jokes, or trying to get the others involved in different activities, the next, he was watching his son, wife, or both, with a guilt-ridden expression...almost like he felt singly responsible for what took place that day.

It was obvious that Andy harbored his own feelings of residual guilt, however buried he tried to keep them, but stayed pretty true to character...only this week, he made sure to avoid his family even more than usual.

Abbey was always an extremely observant child, and finally old enough to be painfully aware of what was going on around her. She may not have been around when the accident happened, but she was a direct result of it. It was also suspected that the little girl was just now starting to realize what that meant.

And Quinn was at a complete loss. She didn't know what to do, or how to act...this type of thing had never happened to anyone in her biological family. No one had ever been in a car accident worse than a small fender bender, much less a major collision with life altering results. And Artie wasn't just anyone...he was her boyfriend.

...

The day arrived without any bells, whistles or fan fare...just the wailing of her almost twelve week old daughter. Quinn tried feeding, burping, pacing, singing, changing, bouncing...but nothing she did, got Caroline to settle down. It was as if the baby could sense the tension flowing through the house.

Tiptoeing down the stairs just after 6am, almost two hours since the baby woke her up, Quinn was in desperate need of some coffee. When she reached the kitchen, to her surprise, a fresh pot had already been brewed and Alicia looked to be already on her second cup.

"Oh God, her fussing didn't wake you up, did it?" Quinn groaned apologetically.

Alicia's tired smile was forced and never quite reached her eyes but her expression was genuine. "No Sweetie, I just couldn't sleep."

Quinn was just about to let out a sigh of relief when another voice rang out from behind. "I couldn't sleep either."

Artie.

Quinn was hoping to have at least a little bit of individual time to get comfortable around each of them, before being thrust into the emotion of the day. But here she was, smack in the middle between the two people she cared about most in this world...the two people most affected by this accident...

"Who's making all that noise?"

A small smile tugged at Quinn's lips, she couldn't help it, Artie's voice was like music to her ears. Even more melodic was the tone of normalcy and mirth it held, something she wasn't expecting to hear today. "_Your_ soon-to-be Goddaughter...that's who," she quipped pointedly and turned on her heel to face him.

Artie's lingering gaze shifted from his mother over to Quinn, and the tense line of his lips pulled up into a genuine grin as he reached out for the fussy bundle, "Here, hand her over."

"Gladly," Quinn returned with a gentle playfulness and passed Caroline over. But the sight of Artie cuddling her daughter tugged stronger at her heart than it usually did, and Quinn suddenly felt the urge to cry.

Ironically, it was Alicia who saved Quinn from her own emotions. "Coffee, Quinn?" Mrs. Abrams voice cracked and she needed to clear her throat after, but she'd managed to get the words out, and just in time.

"Yes, please," was the reply and Quinn graciously accepted the steaming mug. "Thank you." But instead of taking a sip from it, she hesitated a moment, then placed it down on the counter top and wrapped her arms around Alicia.

The embrace must have taken the older woman by surprise, because it took her a moment to hug back. Once she did however, she held on tightly. Quinn could hear the soft sniffles Alicia was trying to hide before she could feel the warm tears drop to her shoulder.

"Thank you," Alicia whispered moments later. The appreciation was evident in her voice, though her tone made it clear it had nothing to do with pouring a simple cup of coffee.

With one small exchange of affection complete, Quinn walked over to give another that had been previously overlooked. She sat on the chair next to Artie and gently cupped his cheek in her hand before leaning in to softly kiss him on the lips. "I didn't say good morning to you before because I wasn't sure that was the right thing to say."

Artie gave a small dismissive shrug and let out a breathy chuckle, "It's definitely a good morning when it starts out like that...no matter what the day."

He was rewarded with a sweet smile from her and a cup of coffee from behind, fixed just the way he liked it...accompanied by his daily dose of cranberry juice, of course. Glancing up, Artie gave the hand on his shoulder a squeeze. "Thanks Mom."

Alicia pressed a lingering kiss to the top of his head. "So, what do you two have planned for...today?," she asked once her back was turned and she was hopefully far enough away that they wouldn't hear the waiver in her voice.

Artie looked questioningly at Quinn, wondering if that was some sort of trick question...neither had anything planned. "I guess we could take Caroline for an extra long walk," he suggested casually, but purposely avoided any eye contact with his mother since she'd probably be cringing at his use of the word 'walk'. "It's early enough to do that and still have you back in time to go to work."

"I'm, um...not going to work today."

"Quinn?"

She let out a sigh at the exasperation in his tone. "I haven't missed a day yet," she replied in defense of her decision. "And I didn't want you guys to have the added stress of having to take care of Caroline on top of everything else." There was a slight pause as she entwined her fingers with his and began to slowly caress his knuckles with her thumb. "Besides...I wanted to be here, in case you needed me."

Artie gave an appreciative nod and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Damn, he wasn't expecting her words to affect him like that, but then again, he wasn't expecting a gesture quite so significant. Suddenly, the quickening pace of little feet slapping against the hardwood could be heard and he was able to recover sufficiently. "Where's the fire Squirt?"

"Huh?," Abbey asked breathlessly, as she skidded into the room. Her tone was a mixture of confusion and sleepiness, but also of complete and utter relief...very much like her expression.

Artie lips twitched upwards. "Why did you almost fly past the kitchen?" he asked even though it was obvious she was on her way to his bedroom.

Being mindful of Caroline, Abbey carefully climbed onto Artie's opposite thigh and rested her head against his shoulder. "I got scared...nobody was upstairs, well Daddy is, but he's taking a shower..."

"Wasn't Andy up there?" Quinn cut in casually.

Abbey shook her head while letting out a huge yawn. "He's not home. He slept over at Harry's...today's his birthday."

Quinn immediately began to berate herself...How could she have forgotten that? "Right."

"It's kind of their thing," Artie supplemented while giving a dismissive shrug, then turned his attention back to his little sister. "You wanna talk about it?" Biting down on her lower lip to stop it from trembling, Abbey just shook her head and curled herself against Artie's chest. The meaningful exchange between mother and son was not lost on Quinn, nor was the pained tone of Alicia's voice when she announced she was going to make some pancakes for breakfast.

...

The day went on like it had begun, periods of normalcy mixed with somber and uncomfortable moments. Artie was talkative for the most part, dropping tiny details of the day, here and there...like how it was raining that morning, but cleared up in the early afternoon...how he wanted blueberry pancakes for breakfast, but got cereal instead, which also explained why his mother makes that very breakfast for him every chance she gets...the baseball in the toilet tale...what he ate for lunch...

"Jelly sandwich and celery with peanut butter and raisins."

"Ants on a log, I loved those as a kid," Quinn returned, smiling softly. "But why make both...why not just have a PB&J?"

"I wasn't very good at spreading, and always ended up tearing the bread," he admitted sheepishly. "Normally I wouldn't have cared so much, but I was making one for Mom and I didn't want it to look _too _disgusting."

Quinn's smile widened for a few seconds, then turned wistful. "We could make something else if you want," she suggested, mid peanut butter pass.

"It's Abbey's favorite, and one of the few things I'm good at making," Artie countered as he tucked the jar in his lap, and waited patiently for Quinn to hand him the bread next. "Plus, after the morning she had, she could probably use some comfort food.

"Yeah, what happened?" Quinn pressed worriedly. "I've never seen her so clingy."

"I can't be sure because she hasn't said anything to confirm it, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say she had another one of her nightmares," Artie deduced, pushing off for the table.

"A nightmare about the accident?" Artie nodded affirmatively at Quinn's incredulous question. "But she wasn't even conceived yet."

"It appears I'm not the only one in this family with a ridiculously overactive imagination," he quipped, but his tone quickly turned flat and his gaze dropped to his hands. "Usually it's just me who dies, but I think this time it was Mom too. She's hanging to both of us pretty tightly."

That easily explained why Abbey was either in Artie's lap, or hot on Alicia's heels, but..."She has dreams you died?" The words caught in Quinn's throat, tangled with a large bobbing lump. Tears sprang to her eyes when Artie nodded again and she cried, "Oh my God...that must be so awful. I can't even imagine..."

He tilted his head to the side and flashed a slightly teasing smirk before taking her hands in his and pulling her onto his lap. "What? Her dreaming about it or me actually dying."

Sniffling back the tears, Quinn smacked him hard across the chest, "Don't even joke like that."

"But I didn't die...see I'm fine," Artie countered reassuringly. "And aside from the obvious, my other injuries were fairly insignificant." There was a pause as he tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and placed a kiss to her temple. "Believe me Quinn, I'm not planning on going anywhere for a really long time."

"Good," Quinn whispered, snuggling deep into his embrace, "because I don't plan on letting you go for a really long time."

...

They had already taken Caroline for a walk, been swimming, and more recently, watched a few mindless television shows, and had lunch. Quinn had begun to notice that the closer it got to 3:37 pm, the less effective her distractions were becoming. "You wanna help me sort through some pictures?" she asked in a rush of breath_. _It was getting harder coming up with things to do now that Alicia, Abbey and Caroline were all napping, but this just seemed so lame...even to Quinn.

"Um sure." Luckily Artie didn't seem to care and sounded genuinely grateful for the diversion as he prepared to transfer.

"You can stay on the couch," Quinn insisted, but he was already half way back into his chair. "I don't mind doing this in here."

Artie raised a speculative brow to match his smirk, then got to quick work arranging his legs. "I've seen all the picture you've taken...there is no way they're all going to fit on this little coffee table. Plus, a table that we don't have to bend forward to reach would probably be much more comfortable to work at." Done, he glanced up and smiled. "So what's your pleasure, dinning room or kitchen?"

"Kitchen," Quinn smiled back, "it has better light."

Quinn hadn't realized how frustrating it would become having to pick out the best photos. Each one was more adorable than the next...precious moments, funny faces, cute smiles...and they weren't even half way through the month yet.

"I'm beginning to wonder who there are more pictures of...us or Caroline,"Artie quipped playfully. She must have printed off copies of every single shot on her memory card.

"Well, we are pretty cute together," she returned, just as sweet.

"You know, Mom's got a ton of extra scrap-booking stuff in the office closet...," he suggested casually. "And I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we used one of her empty albums..."

"Wait, you want to scrap-book with me?" Quinn cut in skeptically.

"No," Artie countered with a soft chuckle, "but I do want a photo album with all of our pictures in it."

Quinn's heart swelled to the point it felt as though it was going to burst right out of her chest. He was just so damn lovable. "Okay, you go get whatever pictures you have in your room, and I'll get the supplies," she instructed, but not before pressing her lips to his for a delightful kiss.

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" Artie called out when he returned to the room about ten minutes later. But seeing Quinn partially wedged inside the closet gave him all the answer he needed.

"I found the supply cart and some extra materials, but I can't find any albums."

"Did you look up top yet?"

Quinn glanced up at the shelf above her head and sighed. "I'm going to need a step ladder."

"I can help you with that" Artie sounded gracious enough when he offered the use of his arm rests to hoist her to that height, but as soon as she noticed his eyes drifting elsewhere...

"Creep. You just want to look up my dress," she scoffed playfully as she hopped back down.

"No Quinn really..."

"Liar."

It was so nice to see him blushing and smirking and laughing along, forgetting all about his troubles, that Quinn almost relented. Almost...

Climbing onto the step ladder she'd retrieved from the laundry room, Quinn reached for the first box on the shelf. "You stay back there until I call for you," she warned Artie with all the mock authority she could muster. He was clearly having way too much fun with this, if the impish grin plastered all over his face was any indication.

Quinn passed three boxes of 'Mom's tax stuff' down, before she came to an unmarked box. It was only after she'd handed it to him that she noticed the bold black print scrawled on the other side. "Artie wait...give me that one back."

"Why?" he asked, and like a magnet was drawn to the writing.

"Maybe you shouldn't look at that today," Quinn gave the gentle suggestion.

"Why not?" he asked again, this time gave an indifferent shrug along with it. "It's just my stuff from the hospital." Quinn was still not convinced this was a good idea, but as he slowly lifted the top off the box, she became more curious as to what was inside. She didn't see the harm in looking, and maybe this was just the thing to get him to open up to her even more..."Oh awesome."

After descending the ladder, Quinn stepped behind Artie and peered over his shoulder. "Look, it's some of my get well cards, my ID bracelets, my cast..."

If there was anything more true about Alicia Abrams it was that she saved everything...important, that is. So technically she was a very neat, extremely organized, pack rat. "It's so small," Quinn commented when Artie pulled two halves out of the box.

"Are you kidding?" he shot back incredulously. "This thing was huge, and really, really heavy." There was a pause as he pointed to where the cast had hit him, more than three quarters up his left arm. "The one they replaced it with when I got to rehab was much better...at least I could bend my elbow in that one." Artie shuffled around in the box for a few more seconds before asking, "Is there another one up there with my rehab stuff in it? That stuff was way cooler."

Quinn smiled at his child-like enthusiasm and climbed back up to check. "There's this one that says accident papers," she called out and Artie motioned for her to pass it down to him.

Quinn wasn't as interested in this box as she was with the other one and was just about to return to the ladder, when Artie pulled a stack of grainy films out of a manila envelope. "My x-rays."

She had to bite back a gasp, "You've see these before?"

"A bunch of times," Artie replied nonchalantly, as if the shattered bones depicted, were not of the utmost importance. "Just never with all this writing on them." He spent another moment or two trying to figure out what those words and diagrams drawn onto the films represented, before giving up and tossing them aside.

Artie resumed digging for something other than receipts and bills...and uncovered far more than he was hoping to.

"What's all that?" Quinn asked as soon as she saw the way Artie had tensed up.

"Court transcripts and a newspaper article," he replied through an steadying breath.

She pulled the desk chair next to Artie and sat down beside him. "Your parents sued the guy?"

"I guess," he answered, reading on, "and the bar that served him." Quinn sat patiently while Artie took some time to process this information. She didn't have to wait very long. "I've always known there was an account with a big chunk of money saved up for future medical expenses and whatever, but I never really knew where it came from. I was eight, so I just figured it was from the insurance company or the trust fund my Grandparents started, since those were the things my parents were always talking about."

Artie set down the transcripts in his lap and passed the newspaper over to Quinn with shaky hands. "That's him, isn't it?" he asked referring to the aged black and white photo off to the left of the page.

_'Crash injures mother and son' _Quinn read the title to herself. She nodded and her eyes flickered up to see Artie silently imploring her to go on...

"Jefferey P. Fisher 50, of neighboring Elida, Ohio, remained in custody Saturday, charged with DUI in an accident that injured a 32-year old Lima mother and her 8 year-old son." Quinn questioned not whether she should go any further, but whether she could. "Shortly after 3:30pm on Friday, Fisher, who was reportedly going in excess of 50 miles per hour, ran through a red light and broadsided the silver sedan carrying the pair."

"Why'd you stop?"

Quinn's head shot up, she hadn't even realized she had stopped reading until Artie said something. Artie..."Sorry," she returned with a meek apology, but didn't continue right away. Something in the back of her brain kept nagging at her. "Artie maybe we shouldn't..."

"It's fine if you don't want to...," he cut in softly, "I can do it."

When he reached out for the article, Quinn noticed his hands were shaking even worse than before. He must have noticed it to, because he immediately pulled them back into his lap. "It's okay," Quinn assured him with a small smile as she scooted closer and slipped her hand in between his clenched ones. "Police reported that Fisher's blood alcohol level was .19 at the time of the crash, double the states legal limit."

Another pause, but this time Artie did not comment when Quinn read ahead. "It's weird, the article never actually mentions you by name," she pointed out, and he moved in to get a better look. "It says here that by the family's requested names have been withheld, but a representative from St. Rita's medical center did release the conditions of the injured, stating that the female victim is currently listed in fair condition while the young boy is listed in serious but stable condition following surgery late yesterday evening."

Artie glanced over at Quinn. "I wonder why they did that."

"Dad wanted to keeps things private since not all of the family had been notified yet."

"Mom!"

"First rule of thumb...if your kids are too quiet, they're probably getting into some kind of trouble," Alicia intoned flatly as she walked into the room.

"Alicia, I'm so sorry," Quinn fumbled with an apology. "We were looking for a extra photo album for our pictures and came across these boxes by accident."

Not wanting to intentionally ignore Quinn's plea, but unable to manage anything more than a short nod, Alicia proceeded to attend to the more pressing issue at hand. "Why are you doing this to yourself today, Honey?"

"It wasn't intentional," Artie stated in defense. "Like Quinn said, we were just looking for an album. She found the box with my hospital stuff in it first and I asked her if she could find the one from rehab, but we found this instead."

"And you thought it was a good idea to go through it...today of all days?"

She didn't sound mad, just confused...and really hurting. Artie shrugged dismissively, "I guess I just wanted answers. It feels like I'm living in a puzzle without all of the pieces."

"Why didn't you come to me about this?" she implored, sobbing. Witnessing that heart-wrenching reaction, Quinn thought it best to relinquish her seat to Alicia.

"Because I knew how you'd react," Artie blew out with sigh, "just like this." He paused for a second to collect himself, then added, "We hardly ever talk about it, but when we do, you always end up crying...and I hate seeing you cry."

Even more than seeing his mother cry, Artie hated showing his emotions in front of her...worse still was having Quinn there to witness it all. Though gauging from the expression she was giving him, Artie was pretty confident his girlfriend wouldn't think any less of him if he just happened to let a few of his own pent up tears, fall. Without warning, he pulled his mother into his arms and held her tight. And as quietly as possible, Quinn wiped her eyes, then busied herself with repacking the boxes.

It took Alicia a few minutes before her shutters calmed enough for her to speak. Releasing her hold, she took the tissue Quinn was offering and blotted her cheeks. Alicia sat back in her seat and let out a shaky breath. "Okay, what did you want to know?"

Artie froze, he definitely wasn't expecting her to be so abrupt or accommodating. There was really only one thing he wanted to know..."What happened to him?"

Alicia hesitation was unintentional as she made a point of find a distraction to help her get through this. That came easy in the form of helping Quinn. "Because this had been his third offense, he opted to plead guilty to driving while intoxicated, reckless driving that resulted in bodily injury in both the criminal suit as well as the civil suit."

"And?"

Not trusting herself to look at him quite yet, Alicia stood to push the desk chair back over to the computer. "He was sentenced to time served for the three days he spent in jail before his family posted bond. Ninety days mandatory in-patient substance abuse program and a revoked license."

"So we won," Artie announced, sounding pleased.

"No Honey, nobody won in this," she returned sympathetically.

"But we got him off the streets, right?" he countered, his tone taking on a positive air, "so he couldn't hurt anyone else."

Alicia took in a sharp, almost pained breath. She kept one hand on the desk for support and slowly turned around. "What did it matter...he'd already hurt you."

Artie gave a tight smile as he nodded. "Maybe nine years ago he did, but I'm good now," he admitted, glancing from his mother over to Quinn, "better than good."

...

Maybe convincing his mother he really was alright wasn't quite as easy as that, but Artie honestly felt more at ease with himself than he ever had. It didn't hurt to have the most beautiful girl on the planet, standing by his side, either.

"You were amazing tonight. Thanks."

Quinn blushed a deep crimson. "I didn't do anything special," she countered, downplaying her involvement.

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed playfully. "You single handedly restored peace to this house by entertaining the girls while me and Mom talked, and totally saved dinner by making that chicken dish...which was awesome by the way."

"It was a little dry," she chuckled, cringing.

"I liked it," Artie returned with a grin. "And even Andy without complaining, so it had to be good."

Quinn tilted her head contemplatively, then nodded. "I guess today wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked rhetorically, and smiled back at him. "Even if we didn't get to make our photo album." Just then, Artie produced a leather bound book from his nightstand and Quinn laughed. "We can do that tomorrow." She paused a moment to look at, not hers, but his reflection in his mirror. "I want to thank you too, for including me in everything that today was...," Again, her wording didn't sound right, but she wasn't sure how else to say what she wanted to say. "I feel so much closer to you right now."

"From all the way over there?," Artie queried teasingly.

Quinn's smile widened as she crossed over to him and perched herself on his lap. "You know what I mean," she sneered, giving him a playful swat on the chest.

"I do," Artie replied softly and turned very serious. "I got pretty depressed today when it finally hit me that nine years means I've been like this longer than I wasn't." Quinn reached a comforting hand out to cup his cheek. "Just having you here with me...for me, made that not so significant."

Snuggling deeper into his lap, Quinn wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "If it's any conciliation, I don't remember much of you before, or even that much after," she let out a small embarrassed giggle. "But I do know that I _really_ like _you,_ for who you are, right now."

Artie mused, he did too.

...

**_ANx2...Oh God that took so ridiculously long to post...edits and re-edits and an ending I'm not all that thrilled with...I truly apologize, but hope it was still worth the wait. _**


	7. Chapter 7

_**An authors note...I'm thrilled with the way the last chapter was received. Thanks so much for the very generous reviews. You guys are wonderful. Sorry I didn't get this up last Monday as I had promised some of you. That really was my honest intention, but then RL, the holiday weekend, and some unexpected rewrites of the rewrites got in the way. **_

_**Warning for some light anatomical discussion toward the end of the chapter...and for Noah Puckerman's mouth, of course. Rated T for a reason people.**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

It usually took Alicia, and sometimes even Artie, a few days to a week to recover after the anniversary of the accident had passed. But this year there was no time to sulk about the past or wallow in self pity, Caroline's Christening was coming up in only two weeks. It was a joyous occasion that everyone in the family was looking forward to.

Well, almost everyone.

"Ugh, I hate my family," Quinn grumbled as she unceremoniously sank down into the kitchen chair next to where Artie was seated.

From across the room, Alicia gave a sympathetic frown. She wasn't usually one to tolerate a disrespectful attitude, but then again these were unique circumstances. "What happened now?"

"I knew it was a terrible idea...," Quinn rambled distractedly, "I should have never even...I just wanted her to..."

"What exactly did you do?" Artie cut in suspiciously when she stopped making sense.

Sighing, Quinn lolled her head to side so she could look at him. "I thought it would be special for Caroline to wear my Christening gown. So, when I finally work up enough courage to actually call Judy up and ask her for it, she tells me that my bitch of a sister took it with her when she got married." Realizing her grievous slip, Quinn immediately looked over at Alicia and blushed, "Sorry."

Dismissing the light vulgarity with a shake of her head, Abbey was nowhere in earshot after all, Alicia offered the most logical solution, "Can't you just call your sister up and ask for it?"

"I could if were were actually on speaking terms," Quinn retorted dishearteningly and sent a pointed glance Artie's way. He had to remember what hoops they jumped through just to stay overnight at her house when they were in Chicago for regionals. "Avery hates me. She'd never send it...and even if she did, it probably wouldn't get here in time." Resting her head heavily in her hands, Quinn's frown deepened. "But that's not even the worst part," she groaned and let it flop down onto the table, "Judy decided she'd like to be a part of her Granddaughter's special day and invited herself...possibly Russell too."

"Your parents are coming?" Artie sputtered in shock.

Not bothering to pick up her head, Quinn groaned again, "Oh God I hope not."

Biting back a chuckle from the rushed "Sorry Alicia" that followed, Mrs. Abrams walked over and laid a comforting hand on Quinn's back. "Honey, I can't control what your parents decide to do, but I can help you pick out a gown for Caroline to wear," she paused to smile conspiratorially at Artie, "or let you borrow the one that her Godmother and Godfather both wore."

Interest piqued, Quinn slowly lifted her head to find Artie grinning up at his mother. "Yeah. Aunt Colleen should have it...Maggie was the last to wear it."

"Actually," Alicia drawled pointedly, "she gave it back to me after Caroline was born," and glanced between the two teens, "you know, just in case."

Quinn was so overwhelmed by the gesture and when Alicia offered an outstretched hand, she almost hesitantly accepted it. They were led from the kitchen through the foyer and from over her shoulder, Quinn could see Artie grinning as he followed close behind. "It's a family heirloom made from my Great-Grandmother's wedding gown," Alicia continued to explain while they walked.

They stopped at the closet that was just beyond the alcove, the one that was used for storage and nothing else...which was generally why no one ever went in it. Alicia reached for large white box above her head and carefully pulled off the lid.

Quinn's eyes went big and a small smirk began to play across her lips. "Wait, you wore this?," she quipped teasingly as she turned to Artie.

"I was like two months old," he returned in playful defense.

"Everyone on my mothers side has. It's been in the O'Brien family for four generations now," Alicia made sure to note, even though she knew the kids were just playing with one another. Quinn continued to stare at the contents of the box with an unreadable expression on her face. "I know it's a bit frilly with all the satin and lace and the color is less than perfect white..."

"No, I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Quinn cut her off, in total awe of the stunning champagne colored gown in front of her. She paused thoughtfully before asking, "But don't you want to save it for your own kids?"

Artie avoided looking at his mother entirely and only briefly glanced up at Quinn before lowering his gaze to his hands. "Caroline might be the closest I ever get," he replied with a soft acceptance. His eyes flickered upward after another second, "I'd be honored if she wore it...," and he paused to give a sheepish shrug,"...but only if you want her too."

Quinn was pretty sure Alicia was fighting back tears but she wasn't about to look for fear the ones pooling in her own eyes, would fall as well. She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled lovingly at her boyfriend. "Of course I want her to," was all she could get out as she threw herself in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

...

Artie insisted on buying Caroline a little party dress for the small reception they were having at the house, after the ceremony. He knew his parents were giving the baby a gold necklace with a tiny crucifix charm to match her mothers as well as footing more than half of the bill for the party, so it was the least he could do.

August first had finally arrived. Quinn slept relatively peacefully the night before, until about two-thirty in the morning when her eyes flew open and she woke with a start. One of the unique dilemmas that she was faced with had resurfaced, and in the form of a very disturbing dream that had Artie nearly lighting himself on fire. It only took her about three seconds to come up with a satisfactory solution, but another hour and a half to fall back to sleep.

It was just before breakfast when Quinn walked over to the open office door and knocked. A warm smile immediately greeted her. "Do you mind if I come in?"

"Of course not, Quinn," Art replied, his grin widening. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, it's not for me exactly," she started off a little cryptically at first...and a lot nervous, though she wasn't sure why that was. "It would...I...," a pause and sigh followed this short ramble before she was able to take in enough air to just spit it out. "It's the duty of the Godfather to take the baptismal candle up to the altar to get lit, then bring it back to the baby."

"Okay," Art prompted with a gentle encouragement.

"But Artie obviously can't carry a lit candle and push his chair at the same time," she added softly, and a little sadly. "And he looked so crushed at the meeting we had when he realized he wouldn't be able to do that one little task."

"Those are usually the hardest to deal with," Art intoned with a matter of fact shrug, "the simple things others take for granted."

Quinn nodded compassionately. "Alicia already offered to go up for him, but I know how much it would mean to him..." A nervous giggle caused her words to trail off when Art's lips spread into a smile of understanding. How could she have ever felt uncomfortable about asking him to do something to help his son? "So I was wondering if maybe you would go up, not for him, but with him, and that way he could still do it and I wont feel like I've, unintentionally of course, overlooked you in all of this."

A deep chuckle escaped Art as he rose from his desk chair. "You don't ever have to feel like that Quinn," he assured her. "I'm more than happy to do whatever it is you need me to do...as small and insignificant as you might think it is." He paused to flash a genuine smile, "Now, I think I smell breakfast," and added as he looped his arm around her shoulder in a gentle half hug,"what do you say we go get ourselves some french toast before my sons eat it all?"

...

"Puck seriously, you're not going to be struck down for just walking into the building," Artie playfully commented on the older boys reluctance to enter the large church looming in front of them.

"Yeah but don't you people have to confess your sins and shit?" he replied offhandedly.

Quinn rolled her eyes and chuckled. "What does it matter? You're not Catholic."

"Very fucking observant, Fabray," he quipped sarcastically. "I just kinda feel like I should get on my knees and pray or something."

"Maybe you should," she threw back over her shoulder and smirked pointedly as she pushed Artie through the large doorway. Quinn immediately stopped to dip her fingers into the receptacle of Holy water and crossed herself before flicking the excess at Noah. The startled response that followed the tough jocks shriek had both Quinn and Artie biting back laughter. "Repentance can be a very cleansing experience," she added saucily.

"Bitch," Puck muttered under his breath as he narrowed his eyes and wiped the droplets of water from his face.

"One small note of advice Puck," Artie reached up with his unoccupied hand to tap the boy one the shoulder. "You might want to try not to swear while you're in here...definitely not the best way to earn brownie points with the priest."

Noah passed his incredulous glare down to Artie, but his expression softened considerably when his gaze landed on the beautiful bundle in Wheel's arms. Plus, it was hard to stay angry when the kid was actually right. "I'll be cool Dude," he replied dismissively while still being completely sincere. He was not about to do anything to ruin his baby girl's big day, no matter how uncomfortable being in this place made him.

The three walked down the long aisle together until Artie was forced to hand Caroline over and branch off to the left side of the church where the accessible seating was located. "I'm gonna go sit with Artie so he's not alone," Abbey stated, just as Quinn was remembering what an issue that had become when the little girl was making her first Communion and she couldn't understand why her family wasn't able to all sit together in their usual spot.

The seating arrangement for today was the same, and Quinn hated that Artie had to sit so far away from her and his Goddaughter...especially after she caught a glimpse of her mother walking in. Dressed in a bright yellow and navy suit with matching hat, Judy Fabray looked like she was going to a very expensive tea party...or the Kentucky Derby.

Reflexively, Quinn shot a glance over at Artie, to find him smiling encouragingly at her. With that one little gesture he was silently letting her know that everything was going to be okay. Quinn blew out a long sigh of relief. Luckily, Judy had enough sense to sit at the back of the church...and not bring Russell with her.

...

It wasn't hard for Quinn to shed a few tears when she gathered around with her 'family' and friends to watch the priest pour water over the her daughters head and joyously declare, "Caroline Grace Fabray Puckerman, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." She was pretty sure she saw Artie, Art and even Noah discretely swiping at their eyes as well.

Mrs. Puckerman had arranged for her Rabbi to come to the Abrams after the church service to give Caroline a proper Hebrew blessing. So after the baby was sufficiently dedicated in both of her parents religions, she was changed into her party dress, fed, and passed around like a hot potato. Caroline was currently in the arms of her Godfather for the third time that afternoon, while Quinn was helping Alicia get dessert on the table.

It was a smallish affair with just a handful of Puckermans, a little over half of the glee club, and one Fabray. Judy only stayed for about twenty minutes...just long enough to make Quinn uncomfortable though. The rest of the party consisted of Alicia's family and a sprinkling of Abrams. Jessalyn, Artie's favorite cousin on that side, always made it a point after becoming old enough to drive, to never miss an opportunity to come out and support her favorite little cousin...no matter what the situation.

"Oh, I almost forgot...," Alicia muttered, more to herself than anyone.

As she headed back over to the pantry, Quinn turned to Abbey. "Tell Dad and whoever is outside to come in...it's time for cake." Artie couldn't help but notice the reaction Quinn's usage of that title elicited from their friends as well as a few of their less frequently seen family members. And it made him smile.

Alicia surprised some of her guests when she walked back into the room carrying a festively decorated cake with a pair of candles lit on top, until she set it down in front of her embarrassed looking brother. Artie started the round of Happy Birthday and the glee clubbers quickly joined in with their harmonizing parts.

"Thanks Sis," Tom tried to downplay all of the attention with lighthearted sarcasm, he didn't want to detract anything from Caroline,"but it was yesterday."

"Did you think I'd forget, little Brother?," she returned, mussing his hair.

"He hasn't been littler than you since the day he was born," Tom Sr. joked.

"Forty one whole years ago," Kathleen teased with a mock wistful tone, her eyes dancing between her two children. "Where did that time go?"

"Wait," it suddenly dawned on Quinn and she turned to Alicia, "I thought you were forty one?"

Puck leaned forward slightly. "Dude, your mom's only forty one?," he playfully whispered into Artie's ear, but that only succeeded in earning him a disgusted look and not-so-gentle elbow to the ribs.

Alicia nodded and chuckled in response to Quinn's question, not Noah's...luckily she hadn't heard that. "For a few more weeks at least."

Artie caught Quinn's expression turn puzzled out of the corner of his eye. "They're Irish twins," he supplied wittily.

"Three days shy of eleven months apart," Alicia corrected as she grinned at her son.

"I got pregnant again when Alicia was about three and a half months old, so they should have been a year apart" Kathleen joined in, and resumed shooting pointed glances between her two oldest children, "but Tom decided to come almost a month early..."

"Oh my God, I can't even imagine," Quinn sputtered in disbelief, "that would be like me getting pregnant right now." There was a short pause while Quinn let out a soft giggle and shook her head, then breathed a sigh of relief, "But we all know that's not going to happen..."

She realized her mistake even before the room fell awkwardly silent. "Oh, I didn't mean...well maybe I did, but only because we haven't...not to say that we couldn't...I think...only that we're not...oh forget it..." Quinn's throat constricted and she threw a painfully apologetic glance toward Artie before steering her way through the crowded room.

"Hold up...Quinn," he called out but it was met with deaf ears. Remembering he still had Caroline in his arms, Artie turned to the closest person to him. "Mercedes, do you mind?"

"You kiddin' me?" she replied with an incredulous snort, but an equally encouraging smile, "I've been wait'n for this all day," then reached out to take the baby, "Come to Mama-bear Princess Puckerman."

Artie couldn't be bothered with politeness and immediately took off after Quinn. Luckily for him she hadn't fled upstairs to her room or out to her car where he couldn't easily get to her, or at all. She was simply standing on the front porch with her arms wrapped protectively around herself.

"Quinn?"

The query was barely a whisper but it was loud enough to send her packing again, this time around the side of the house into the backyard. Artie continued to call out to her as he followed the paved path that led to the patio. He almost caught up to her as he neared the pool, but missed the opportunity when she abruptly took a detour in the direction of the swing set.

"Quinn?"

Artie pushed as hard as he could. "Could you slow down a little?" Unfortunately, that plea had the opposite effect and she increased her speed. "C'mon Quinn please, we're on grass."

That did it. She stopped, let her head fall dejectedly to her chest, then practically tip-toed the rest of the way to the playground where she slumped down onto the nearest swing. "Why did you run away from me?" he asked breathlessly, as soon as he caught up.

"Seriously Artie?" she scoffed sarcastically. "I just completely embarrassed you in front of your family."

His lips twitched upwards and he gave an indifferent shrug. "It's not the first time, and I'm sure it wont be the last." The menacing glare she tried to give him faded into a pathetic grimace. Great, now he was _expecting_her to embarrass him again. Artie chuckled lightly at the change in her expression. "Quinn really, it's okay."

"Really? Because I basically broad casted our sex life, or lack there of, to everyone we know," she countered sardonically until another realization hit and she groaned. "Oh God...Mr. Schue was in there...and your grandparents..."

"Well, Mom seemed pretty relieved that we haven't fooled around yet."

His off-handed remark caught Quinn by surprise, just like he'd intended. Her head snapped up to find Artie smirking innocently at her. "That's not funny," she retorted with a firm tone and powerful swat to his shoulder, but couldn't hold back the tiny grin that was threatening to break through.

"Sure it is," he shot back playfully before the air between them turned uncomfortable again. "Look Quinn, I used to think that nothing could be worse than people finding out about all of the things that make me different, but a really smart person taught me that it's so much better for them to know the facts...the truth, so they won't have to assume or make false conclusions."

Without lifting her head, Quinn raised a skeptical brow, "Really, who told you that?"

"My mom."

Quinn's expression immediately softened. She dared a glance at him and then a smile. Artie warmly smiled back. "It was my ninth birthday party," he began to explain as he pulled his gloves from the front pockets of his dress pants and proceeded to tug his fingers through the leather, "in this very spot." There was a short pause as he looked up thoughtfully. "Some of my cousins and a few of the neighbors kids were hanging on the monkey bars. I thought that maybe they'd want to play with me again if they saw I could still do it...my arms had gotten really strong and..."

"You didn't fall, did you?" she cut in, her question laced with sympathy.

Artie shook his head. "No, worse...I made it all the way across." That answer puzzled Quinn. She was just about to ask why that was a bad thing when he lined up even with the ladder rung and pulled himself up. The sight of him effortlessly swinging from one bar to the next was slightly distracting...and really, _really_ hot. "But when Jess helped me down, my shorts rode up a little and exposed my catheter bag."

Quinn saw a flash of embarrassment flicker in his eyes, but he kept going. "So then once they knew, they were able to look past it?"

"Wouldn't know," he answered indifferently as he came to a stop just to her right, "they never came over again." Quinn's face wrinkled in even deeper confusion..._where exactly was this going? _Artie pushed himself up onto his elbows. "But Mom was right...and at least it got the kids who thought I had to wear diapers, to stop teasing me."

Glancing up at him, it was hard to determine in the flush on his cheeks was from exertion or self-consciousness, though the diversion of his eyes was a pretty strong indication of the latter. Artie shifted under her compassionate scrutiny. "Can you give me a hand? She nodded eagerly at his request. "Just pull my legs through and hold onto them." Quinn did what he asked of her and watched as he climbed down with his hands until he was sitting on the swing next to hers.

She didn't move though and after a few seconds, and Artie caught her staring at certain area in particular. "I self cath now, so I don't have to wear..."

"I know," Quinn cut in, shaking her head as she flopped back onto the swing and blushed a deep crimson. "I just..."

Artie's chuckle covered up her fading words, but couldn't diminish the awkwardness of the innuendo they left hanging in the air. His mind briefly drifted back to that time in the auditorium with Tina and the bout word vomit that resulted. It was different with Quinn, though. "I'm not like other guys, and things are obviously different for me, but I can still get turned on...in case you were wondering." It was Artie's turn to blush again, and he almost couldn't meet her eyes, but he was really glad when he did. Quinn's expression held nothing but encouragement, acceptance, and maybe a little excitement. They exchanged smiles, before a sudden bolt of courage had Artie tugging Quinn's swing toward his. Holding onto the chain for balance, he carefully leaned as far as he could and placed his lips to her neck, "And _you_, definitely turn me on."

**_ANx2...Damn Ryan Murphy for stealing all of my ideas and using them before I got a chance to post. Great minds really do think alike, I suppose;) Not as much in-depth discussion as I would have liked, but I'm thinking I'll save that for another chapter I have in mind. Hope this doesn't disappoint too much, Megan._**


	8. Chapter 8

_**An authors note...As a gift to all of you amazing readers, I worked extra hard to get this chapter up as quick as possible. And failed! I really did try, but spare time doesn't always work in my favor. Between RL, the holidays, and my recent addiction to the new Quartie forum, I'm basically screwed. Thanks guys;)**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

She'd thought nothing of it when he asked her a few months back to come with him, but when he reminded her two days ago that the appointment was this coming Saturday, she kind of freaked out. Quinn had no idea what went into purchasing a new wheelchair. Was it something simple like shopping for a new sweater...pick out the one that fits the best and still looks nice? Or was it more like buying a car...research every single make, model, upgrade and incentive until you find the one that suits you and your budget.

And how much did a wheelchair even cost?

They started out the day at the local pancake house, which was a treat in more ways than one. They almost never ate out for breakfast, and it was only on very rare occasions for them to all be together as a family on a Saturday morning since Artie always had the second of his bi-weekly physio appointments at that time.

Today he would be having his session after their meeting with the equipment specialist in the Occupational therapy department. It occurred to Quinn then that she'd never actually been on the inside of large facility so vital to maintaining Artie's well being, save for the sprawling lobby when she was there on occasion, waiting to pick him up.

Quinn knew how self-conscious Artie was bringing attention to any aspect of his disability, even after she'd assured him numerous times that it was nothing to be embarrassed about. He had definitely gotten more comfortable around her since they'd been dating and even brought the subject up himself, though only once or twice. But having him include her to be a part of this, something so personal and important to him, gave her the best feeling ever.

"His name is Rick. He's awesome...a little eccentric, not Rachel Berry eccentric, but cool eccentric," Artie began to ramble while sporting this excitedly goofy grin. "He was only two months into his tour in Vietnam, working as a medic, when he stepped on a landmine and lost both legs right below the knee." At Quinn's slight grimace, he supplemented with, "But it hasn't stopped him from doing anything...he runs marathons, sky dives..."

"Okay Artie, we're ready for you."

His head shot up and he smiled warmly at the familiar assistant. Instinctively, Artie put his hands to his wheels in preparation to follow her when he suddenly pivoted and stuck his hand out for Quinn's. She graciously accepted the offer, complete with an appreciative smile that she promptly returned...ten times as bright, and stood.

Falling in step behind Artie, Quinn followed him through a short corridor which led to the much larger therapy wing. Dozens of rooms filled the space, some looked to be private while others had large unobstructed widows and opened doors, for viewing purposes. From the hall she could see people of all ages, sizes, races and varying degrees of impairment.

Quinn was curious. She wondered what each persons story was, what brought them there. Some looked completely healthy, while others had such obvious and severe disabilities that it made Artie's situation seem not so bad. Either way, there was so much going on around her and inside of her head that Quinn began to feel a little overwhelmed.

Artie must have sensed that, because when her gaze finally landed on him, he was smiling encouraging at her.

Once inside the occupational therapy wing, they were forced to wait again while the assistant went to get Rick. The room they were in was virtually empty, for which Quinn was inexplicably thankful for.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it caught her off guard when Rick came striding out of his office with barely even a limp. As he was catching up with the Abrams, it dawned on Quinn that, aside from Artie, she'd never really interacted with a disabled person before. Sure there were a few people she knew of from school...Freshman Becky Jackson who had Down Syndrome, John Hubner, the kid a grade behind them with Cerebral Palsy, and a girl who had just graduated, Marissa something-or-other who used a set of crutches because of a birth defect...but out of all of them, Artie was the only one who relied fully on a wheelchair. Quinn mused that would probably be the case for Rick too, it weren't for the prosthetics he was wearing.

She didn't have very long to ponder that thought, though.

"...and this is my girlfriend Quinn."

Artie's words came out a little soft and shaky, like he was self-conscious, which she knew he wasn't. Maybe he was nervous about introducing her to Rick. Quinn found that and the shy little smirk on his face, absolutely endearing.

Quinn smiled as she grasped the outstretched hand offered to her. "It's very nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," he returned politely before glancing back over his shoulder at Artie. Giving a low whistle, he raised an appraising brow to match his grin and whispered, "Nice work man".

Rick caught the slight scowl of disapproval Alicia was giving him and cringed. It amazed him every time how this petite, soft spoken woman, fifteen years his junior, could intimidate him so much...and with just one little look. He recovered quickly and got right down to business. "A-man and I have been tossing e-mails back and forth for a few weeks now and I have a good idea of what he's looking for. I've pulled a few models," Rick motioned behind him with his thumb, "So Dude, if you're ready, we'll go try 'em out."

It was obvious Artie was trying to downplay his excitement by giving a casual nod but Quinn could see how his eyes were sparkling behind his glasses and she couldn't help but smile. Alicia must have noticed it too, because when Quinn looked over, she was smiling after him.

Art headed over to the visitor seating area, newspaper in hand, while Abbey continued wander toward the far wall. Quinn followed her and watched as she carefully evaluated her options, before sitting down in one. "This is a lot like Artie's first chair," she commented as she wiggled around in the seat to get comfortable, "cept it wasn't pink." Quinn let out a soft giggle. "We still have it ya know," Abbey added after a few seconds.

A soft gasp escaped her lips, "Really?"

Abbey nodded affirmatively. "It's in the basement somewhere. He usually just leaves his old one here and they fix it up to give to a kid whose family can't afford to buy them one, but Mom said she just couldn't get rid of that one."

Quinn managed a teary smile, then turned her head when she heard, "Abbey honey, could you please not play in those?" Alicia's expression looked slightly pained and Quinn suspected it might from seeing another child of hers, another eight year old child of hers more specifically, sitting in a wheelchair, and not from breaking the rule of respecting others property. Without argument, Abbey did what she was told and quickly slipped out of the seat, before skipping over to her father.

"Some of them so small," Quinn commented on a few of the models displayed.

"They are," Alicia returned, her tone still a little wistful, "but those usually grow with the child."

Quinn remembered what Abbey had just told her, but didn't say anything to Alicia. "I never asked him this before, but how many chairs has Artie had?"

"We were getting him a new one about every three years," she replied without even thinking about her answer, "so this will be his fourth...and probably last one for a while." When Quinn's expression turned from curious to questioning, Alicia couldn't help but smile. "At Artie's last appointment, his doctor mentioned that he was pretty much done growing," she explained in that warm, gentle tone that the younger girl loved listening to. "Because of the severity of his the fractures in his back, there was a very large section of vertebrae had to be fused together, and since fused bones do not grow, we knew his full height would most likely be affected...though I know how much he was hoping to reach the five-foot-nine the doctors were predicting."

"But that doesn't really matter right?" Quinn blurted, then frowned when she realized that hadn't come out right. "I didn't mean it doesn't matter because he always sitting, I meant..."

"I know Sweetie," Alicia assured her with a soft chuckle. "I think though to him it would have been better to be able to say that your just three inches shorter than your six foot dad instead of actually only one inch taller than your five-foot-six mother." Quinn let out a small giggle, followed by a shrug of concession. "And even though he never technically grew out of his current chair, or never really even grew into it, I know he was looking forward to getting a new one. So here we are."

Quinn nodded, her grin widening just thinking about it. "He's been so excited, I...Oh my God."

The words left Quinn's mouth in a rush of breath. Alicia turned around to see what...and, _Oh my God_...

"Wow Ace, that's definitely, um...a switch from what you had before," Art was the first to speak.

"I know it's not exactly my style, but..."

"It just seems a bit...flashy, Honey," Alicia managed to say, instead of the 'trashy' she was thinking.

"Yeah, I know..."

"Artie, are those silhouettes of naked girls on the rims?" Of course that would be Quinn.

Abbey let out a rumbling giggle that made Artie blush even more than his girlfriends question. "Yeah," he replied sheepishly, eyes lowering for a moment before flickering back up. "When I asked Rick to pimp his stock out for me, I didn't think he'd take it so literal."

It was Rick's turn to laugh and he and Artie shared a conspiratorial smile before he went on to explain, "I had him try out a few models back there but this was the one he liked the best." Hands on hips and brow arched, Alicia looked anything but amused with that justification. Rick thought it better to take the more professional approach. "This model is for design purposes only, to showcase all the...customizations you can add to your chair to make it uniquely yours."

"So his won't come with leopard print, gold accents and..._those_...on the rims?" Quinn asked, deadpan.

"No, they all come basic and you add the upgrades," Rick replied and the collective sigh of relief was almost audible. "I used this one as part of my costume last Halloween."

Alicia was fairly certain she did not want to know what that costume was.

Artie tugged on Quinn's hand. "I don't know, I kinda like it," he whispered playfully into her ear, "I think it makes me look like a total badass." The mock glare of indignation she gave upon straightening did nothing to mask the grin pulling at her lips. But the bantering response that was to follow was pushed aside due to more pressing issues. "Mom?"

Alicia cut short her careful inspection to meet his eyes. "No handles or arm rests?"

"Handles are optional, but no, this particular model does not come equipped with arm rests," Rick answered for him.

"I'm a big boy Mom," Artie muttered pointedly and flashed a playful grin.

Alicia couldn't help but return that smile as she gave herself a moment to take in the rest. It was nowhere near as boxy as his current chair, which had both pros and cons. Less chair to Alicia meant more vulnerability to just about everything. She liked the sense of security that added protection brought.

She glanced around back. "Anti-tippers?"

"Removable," Rick replied as he held his hand up to reveal the metal safety features he knew she'd ask about, lying in his palm.

After giving an approving nod, Alicia became silent again.

This chair did seem to fit Artie much better. It was definitely more streamline, contoured well to his body, and held his legs much straighter...no more (excessive) worrying about pressure sores developing from contact with the frame.

"And you can shift okay?"

"Yep," Artie answered while easily demonstrating the action, hands on rims instead of arm rests...and without needing to apply his brake.

Alicia gave another nod, but now there was a growing smile to follow it. "You like it?" she asked even though his beaming expression said it all. She glanced over at Art who just stood there smirking casually. Sometimes he was no help at all. "It's a good one?" Alicia directed the question to Rick this time.

"One of the best," he answered without reservation. "A pretty good value for the quality. And if your insurance hasn't changed, they should pick up a nice chunk of the base price, all upgrades of course, would fall on your shoulders." Not that any of that mattered anyway. He knew Alicia only wanted the best for her son, and that showed in everything she did.

Another glance exchanged between her and Art, before they looked down at Artie. "Well?" Art prompted.

Artie's grin widened, but before he could answer, he looked up at Quinn. "What do you think?"

"What?" Her incredulous gasp only succeeded in getting him to raise a impatient brow. "I really don't think I deserve an opinion in this matter Artie."

"Of course you do" he replied playfully as he tugged on her hand, "since you're probably going end up spending a lot of time in it too."

And with that she was sitting in his lap.

Quinn smiled and blushed. "I like it."

Artie returned her smile then took a moment to get the approval of one more person who, up until know, had been an unusually quite. "Do you like it Abbs?"

She nodded, but it wasn't very convincing, she was never big on change. "You'll get to keep your light up wheels, won't you?"

Artie's expression softened. "I'm not sure if I want to," he stated apologetically, "I'm getting older now and..."

"But you've always had them," she countered defensively. Artie was just about to counter that with the argument that he'd only had those wheels for five years, when he remembered, to Abbey that was always.

"Those are universal, so you can change them out any time you want," Rick supplied with a pointed smirk.

With a sideways glance at Quinn, only to see her nodding excitedly, Artie finally relented, "Okay, I'll keep those."

Rick was grinning as he jotted that down on the paperwork he was holding. "The old ones are worn, so we'll have to order a new set. Now, seat cushion dimensions will be different..."

"That's okay, he needs a new one anyway," Alicia cut in, and the adults started talking specifics.

Artie turned back to Quinn. "So?"

She smiled back at him, reveling in the feeling of sitting so intimately, his lap warm under her short clad thighs, free of any obstructions, hips closer than they'd ever been, nearly touching... "I definitely think you should get it." The breathy whisper into his ear made his heart race. "Under one condition, though...," she paused only to kiss him, tauntingly on the cheek.

His eyes widened and he swallowed hard. "What?"

Quinn's unexpected giggle broke character, but it had definitely been fun while it lasted. There was a playful twinkle still in her eye when she added, "There be no girl but me, _anywhere_ on it."

...

**_ANx2...It's short and contains a lot of Quinn introspection without a lot of dialogue or Quartie-ness. Sorry. It really is meant to be a filler chapter that s_****_hows a little bit of Quinn's perspective, as well as set some things up for future chapters._****_ My inspiration came from a combination of two things, 1) A tweeted picture that surfaced on tumblr a few months ago, which showed Kevin modeling a chair exactly like the one described here(but has yet to be seen on the show) and 2) the request for more insight/depth into Artie's disability itself and how it may affect their relationship. _**

**_Don't think the link will work, but the pic is currently on page 22 of the Artie Abrams tumblr page.  
_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**An authors note...Wow, that response to the last chapter was amazing. Thank you all so very, very much. I'm so excited to finally be writing this next story arc, starting with this chapter. There promises to be a lot going on(with twist and turns and surprises), with a bunch of people involved(many we haven't seen in a while), and some borrowing of plot lines consistent with the show(if RM can steal my ideas, then I can steal his), that could prove to be a bit of a hurdle for our wonder couple. Can they make it through? You'll need to read to find out.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

For as long as Quinn Fabray could remember, she'd had a love/hate relationship with her birthday. On one hand, she absolutely loved the showering of attention it brought...and presents didn't hurt either. But on the other hand, being born at the tail end of August always coincided with the beginning of yet another school year...definitely the hated part.

"I can't believe you're actually excited to go back," she grumbled as she padded over to the kitchen table.

"I can't believe you're not," Artie shot back in playful defense while continuing to carefully measure out the correct ratio of baby cereal to liquid. He patiently waited for Quinn to secure Caroline into her activity bouncer before handing the small plastic bowl over, before adding, "We get to see all of our friends on a daily basis again, go do what we love most in Glee Club rehearsal three days a week...," there was a pause, and his face suddenly lit up, "...and we're finally seniors this year. What's there not to be excited about?"

Quinn gave him a mock glare of incredulity and rolled her eyes. "Days filled with boring lessons, nights with endless homework, having to see our friends on a daily basis again..." It was obvious she was joking when she changed the context of Artie's previous statement to fit with her rant, and the throaty giggle that quickly followed, was solid confirmation. "I suppose being seniors may have their advantages, but that's about it," she continued after a few moments of contemplation and a few spoonfuls of cereal into the eager mouth of one very hungry Caroline.

"I know you're going to miss her..."

"I have no worries, she's going to be in the absolute best care." Quinn was the one to cut in with the positive reassurance this time. Her perspective in complete contrast to the one she harbored before returning to school so shortly after giving birth. With a widening grin and her eyes cast down, Quinn stared into the bowl of cereal, and lazily stirred. "It's just, I've gotten really used to having you mostly to myself this summer," she stated coyly, beautiful long lashes lifting slowly, "and I don't think I like the prospect of having to share you again."

Artie knew he had to work on trying not to express the same response every single time Quinn said something sweet to him or gave him a compliment. But here he was again, chin lowered to chest, shy, self-conscious smile playing at his lips, face beet red...

"We'll have classes together...and lunch," he returned logically, which was about the only reply he could muster in his currently flustered state.

"Yeah, but only two this semester," Quinn countered with a pout, "and they're both in the morning."

Artie's grin spread from ear to ear as he let out a husky chuckle. "Then I guess that will make our reunion in glee club rehearsal all that much more special," he announced playfully, his hand tugging on hers, signaling for her to sit on his lap. Artie made sure Quinn was settled before lacing his fingers through hers. "Plus, we'll still have after school, and evenings..." His words were cut off by the pressure of her lips on his, "...and mor..."

"Morning you two," Alicia practically sung her greeting.

"Morning Mom," they giggled in unison, though Artie's sounded a little more like a playful grumble, as they pulled away.

"Looks like someone is very eager to start his senior year," she stated almost as an afterthought, smiling pointedly at her son, who was fully dressed, fed and packed to leave...all with about thirty minutes to spare.

"I think he just excited to show off his new chair," Quinn quipped teasingly as she slipped off of his lap.

Artie's wide grin returned. "And his new girlfriend," he playfully retorted, while easily popping a monster wheelie just because he could.

Even though she didn't always approve of what she thought were dangerous tricks, Alicia did nothing to hide her amusement at seeing him, both of them, so happy and content.

The accolade made Quinn's smile widen. She was looking forward to that too, but before she could tell Artie just how much, Abbey exploded into the room looking very much like her big brother...right down to the sweater vest that accompanied her crisp white button down. Though hers was bright pink and fashionably paired with a matching plaid skirt and solid knee socks. "Looks like someone else might be a little eager too," Quinn chuckled instead.

"Great minds think alike," Artie quipped with a playful shrug, then turned to his sister, who still had more than an hour before she even needed to catch the bus. "All ready to start third grade, Squirt?"

Abbey gave an indifferent shrug before she pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. "I guess, but I still wish I had Mrs. Jenkins."

A meaningful glance was exchange between Alicia and Artie. Abbey's biggest desire of her elementary life was to get the same teacher her brothers had in that particular grade. She'd already been through two of Andy's previous teachers, but had yet to have any of Artie's. And third grade was special, to both of them. Her entire life, Abbey had heard the stories of how awesome Mrs. Jenkins was...but her favorite was how the teacher honored Artie's request to fulfill his reign as 'Student of the Week' at the end of the year(It was alphabetical order and he was supposed to go first, but obviously missed his turn since he didn't return to school until two months after everybody else), just so he could have his mom bring his new baby sister in for show-and-tell.

"Who do you have again Abbey?" Quinn's question broke the little girl out of her daydream.

"Miss Pena," she replied casually. "She's new."

"Quinn had Ms. Wilson," Artie supplied, almost teasingly.

Quinn puddled at the sincerity of her boyfriend actually remembering that insignificant piece of information. But then again, this was Artie, how could she expect anything less? But it wasn't until she began to recount every memory of having that nasty old hag for a teacher, that she cringed. "She was really mean."

The smiles and chuckles that followed were soon replaced by silence and shock when Andy entered the room. "There's my Freshman," Alicia practically squealed with pride, which only earned her a terrified look from her younger son. "I was just about to come up and wake you, but here you are dressed and ready for your first day if high school." Andy internally rolled his eyes and tried to force a smile. "I can make you some eggs for break..."

"Can't Mom. Sorry, gotta go," he called out as he breezed past her on his way to grab a Pop-tart from the pantry.

"What? Wait...," she sputtered questioningly, "...Artie's your ride to school, and..."

"I'm riding the bus with Harry today."

"Harry lives five blocks away..."

"Which is why I need to leave right now," he replied impatiently.

"Why am I just hearing about this now Andrew?" Alicia demanded, her tone sounding more defeated, than angry.

Andy let out a sigh of irritation. "Sorry I didn't tell you," but only halfheartedly apologized, "We just decided it last night." Okay, so that wasn't the actual truth, but he hoped she'd buy it anyway. He made to sure to avoid all eye contact with everybody else, especially his older brother, as he stealthily made his way to the laundry room entrance. "I'm gonna ride my bike over to his house. Okay?"

"Okay," Alicia called out futilely, "Be careful." Turning back toward the others, she pulled a frown of disappointment. "I didn't even get a picture of him."

"Don't worry Mom, I'll snap as many as I can of him at school today," Artie assured her with a beaming grin. It felt so weird to say that since the last time he was in the same school as his brother, he was in fifth grade and Andy was in second.

"Thanks Sweetie," Alicia returned appreciatively, but Artie could see how sad it was making her that she didn't get to properly send off her son on his first day of high school.

Quinn smiled at the tender exchange. Sometimes she found herself getting caught up in watching Artie interact with everyone around him, so much so that she wouldn't even realize she was going it, then she'd end up feeling a bit like an intruder, or even worse, a stalker...but this time could not be one of them, she needed to get moving if they were going to get to school on time. "I'd better finish getting ready," she said out loud.

"I can finish with Caroline," Alicia offered.

Quinn glanced down to find that the cereal in the bowl was only half gone. Upon further inspection, she also noticed that because of her distractedness, Caroline had shoved her entire fist in her mouth and was chewing on it frantically. "Thank you," Quinn breathed, letting out a giggle of relief as she pressed a daughterly kiss to the older woman's cheek before jogging out of the room.

"Hey, what about me?" Artie called out after her, but it was too late.

Taking pity on the frown of disappointment her brother was sporting at the lack of affection he was getting, without realizing it was all just for show, Abbey climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll give you a kiss Artie."

"Thanks Squirt," he replied, playing along as he wrapped his own arms around her and let out a mock sigh of exasperation, "At least somebody loves me."

...

Artie wasn't all the surprised at how difficult a task trying to track down one person in a school of six hundred would be, especially for someone waist high with everyone else. He hadn't been able to keep good on his promise to his mother and a get picture Andy on his first day of school, or even second as it turned out. But their Mom took care of that and bombarded all the kids as they returned home that Thursday afternoon.

The funny thing about starting the school year off on a Thursday was that it didn't really leave a lot of time for catching up...or much of anything else for that matter. Luckily for the glee club members, Quinn's birthday just happened to fall on the following Saturday. And Artie, being the ever thoughtful boyfriend he was, arranged a semi-surprise pool party.

Quinn actually knew what was going on this time around, which is where the semi comes in. It was hard not to catch on when you live under the same roof and your boyfriend is constantly bringing up your impending birthday. The fact that he wasn't trying very hard to keep it a secret, helped too.

She was currently comfortably nestled in her boyfriends lap, oblivious to anything but the amusement of watching Kurt try to explain the punchline of Mike's joke, to Brittany.

"Happy Birthday Quinn."

The blond turned her head and smiled. "Thanks Jenna," she replied to the shortest of Abbey's two friends, following behind the youngest Abrams on their way to the swing set.

"Hi Artie," two voices sung out in unison this time.

"Hey girls," he called back, adding a casual wave as they walked past.

"Ooh girl, you got some competition," Mercedes drawled out teasingly.

"I know right," Quinn quipped in agreement, "I mean it's been hard enough having to share him with Abbey and more recently Caroline, but now to..."

"Quinn stop," Artie muttered, nose pressed into her shoulder and cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She couldn't help but giggle at how completely adorable he looked.

"What?" she asked innocently, "don't you like it when your girl gets all possessive of you?"

His blush intensified. He really did like when she referred to herself as 'his girl', but his bashfulness overpowered his ability to speak and all he could do was beam brightly at her.

"Are we gonna sit her all day and watch these two make googly eyes at one another, or are we gonna get wet?" Puck bellowed as he jumped to his feet. "I didn't spend three hours last night, scrubbing the bottom of this thing, for us to just sit around it."

A chorus of shouts and splashes followed Noah's outburst. "C'mon birthday girl," Tina urged, playfully tugging on Quinn's hand.

"That's right Sunshine, get your pretty little butt in here."

The unexpected catcall that escaped Kurt's lips had the entire group roaring with laughter, and Quinn wondering if Noah slipped something in the lemonade when no one was looking. Pulled to her feet, she finally stopped giggling and glanced over her shoulder at Artie. "You coming?"

Feeling somewhat exposed with his lap now empty, Artie gave an indecisive shrug, and searched for an excuse. "Let me just do some replenishing first," he stated, as he simultaneously reaching for the nearly empty pitcher while motioning to the patio table filled with a dwindling array of snacks.

"Oh, okay," she replied, a slight hint of disappointment palpable in her tone. "Do you need a hand?"

"I got it," he assured, flashing that huge grin of his at her. "Go."

But her reluctance was obvious, and Tina was forced to yank on her arm. That was until Matt came up from behind and scooped her up in his arms, before taking a running leap into the pool.

Artie held his smile as he watched a shrieking Quinn resurface and smack Matt square on the chest. He returned the wave she sent him to let him know that she was okay, then piled the bare chip bowl and pitcher in his lap. Only after turning to head into the house, did he let the facade fall.

"Quinn looks like she's having a good time."

Artie hadn't heard his mother come into the kitchen, nor had he realized he was sitting there, staring out the back door. "Yeah," he managed to recover quickly, "everyone does."

"So why aren't you out there with them?" she inquired gently.

"Oh, I just came in to get a refill," he answered, lifting up the pitcher for her to see.

Alicia nodded. "Here, let me get..."

"I can make a pitcher of lemonade, Mom," Artie snapped out of frustration.

"I know you can Sweetie," Alicia returned, curious brow raised pointedly. "As I was about to say...let me get the one I already made, out of the refrigerator."

"Thanks," he replied, head bowed and tone remorseful. Concerned, Alicia asked if he was okay. "Fine," came the dismissive reply, "Do we have anymore chips?"

Though Alicia could tell something was bothering him, she didn't press the issue. Instead, she simply headed over to the pantry to retrieve the snacks, but was quickly interrupted.

"Mom, we're hot," Abbey groaned dramatically. "Can you put the sprinkler out front for us? Amber and Jenna already went to go change into their bathing suits, but Dad and Andy aren't home, and I can't get the hose screwed on."

Alicia turned, hands on hips, wearing a puzzled expression. "Wouldn't it just be easier for you guys to cool off in the pool out back?"

"But all the big kids are in there," she wrinkled her nose as she whined, "and they're really loud...and kinda scary."

This made Artie chuckle. He glanced up at his mother to find her shaking her head in bewildered amusement. "Okay. But first, let me get Artie some more chips," Alicia tried, but was stopped again...this time by noises coming from the other end of the baby monitor.

"She's probably hungry," Artie deduced as he glanced up at the wall clock. "If you go and get her for me, I'd be happy to feed her while you're setting up the sprinkler," he offered after hearing a conflicted sigh leave his mothers lips.

Alicia felt even more conflicted now, but gave him an appreciative smile, before hurrying to grab the snacks from the pantry. "Abbey, you go help your brother take these things outside. I'll be right back."

Dutifully doing what she was told, Abbey waited for Artie to finish preparing Caroline's bottle, then carried the full pitcher of lemonade and held the door open for him. "When are you gonna give Quinn her present?" she asked anxiously.

"Later," Artie retorted, glancing over at said girlfriend who was staring at him with a puzzled look on her face, probably wondering why Abbey was there helping him after he assured_ her_ that he didn't need any. The last thing he wanted was for Quinn to miss out on having fun at her birthday party because of him.

"You should give it to her now," Abbey suggested as she wrestled to open the bag of chips.

Artie smiled at his sister as he held his hand out. "But she's busy swimming," he countered, and after easily pulling the seams apart, handed the bag back to Abbey so she could pour the chips into a bowl.

Abbey was just about to voice her reasoning, when their mother returned with Caroline in hand. Alicia handed the baby over to Artie, then informed Abbey that her friends were back and waiting inside for her. "Okay, I'll be back in a little bit, then we can do cake and presents," the little girl instructed while doing this belly tickle, nose rub thing that always made Caroline laugh.

"But you just told me to give Quinn her present now," Artie quipped incredulously.

"Not without me," she called over her shoulder in this slightly sassy, yet totally matter-of-fact way as she followed her mother back into the house.

Recovering from his amusement, Artie turned back and there was Quinn, arms folded over the ledge of the pool, chin resting on hands. He raised Caroline's little fist and waved it at her mother. Quinn smiled, but her expression soon turned apologetic. Artie quickly dispelled any reservations she may have had in her mind that he wasn't perfectly content doing what he was doing...and grinned.

...

It didn't take long for Quinn to realize how way out of his comfort zone Artie really was. She knew the excuses he was making were valid in his mind, especially since it was obvious he still wasn't even comfortable enough to take his t-shirt off in front of their friends, let alone drag himself out of his chair and into the pool.

Quinn wished it was different for him, though.

She wished that the self-acceptance he was starting to exude around her, would rub off in other areas, especially around their friends and she made sure to ask for that as she blew out her candles.

Showered with gifts, Quinn felt a little guilty. Last year at this time, she would have expected to be on the receiving end of all this fanfare...and she was, given everything any sweet sixteen could asked for, even a car from her parents. This year she was humbled just to have friends and Artie and his family in her and Caroline's life.

Funny how things work.

Artie seemed nervous...not nervous actually, more like anxious. He was finally able to hush the noise enough to ask Quinn to sit down next to him so he could began his little speech about what a great person and girlfriend she was. "...and you would think with how wordy I can get sometimes, I'd have an easier time getting out what I want to say." Just about everyone laughed at that, at it gave Artie the confidence to continue. "But I don't. And while a new lens for your camera is completely practical because you need one, it's not exactly the message I wanted to convey on your seventeenth birthday."

There was a pause, and Artie locked eyes with her before lowering them to the table, or more precisely, what was under the table. Pulling out his acoustic, he strummed a few chords, but nothing Quinn immediately recognized. Artie glanced up and grinned at her, "So, um...," and began to play...

_"Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining. Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying. She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day."_

Quinn broke out into a shy smile. It was her favorite song.

_"Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me. And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see. But every time she asks me do I look okay, I say..."_

She blushed and shook her head, not because she didn't like the way Artie was singing it...My God it was so amazing, but because she couldn't believe he was singing it.

_"Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she let me."_

Her blush intensified and she giggled...just like in the song.

_"Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy."_

Oh God, his parents and little sister were standing right there.

_ "She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day."_

And then it hit her. Artie did exactly that. Every single day, he told her she was beautiful in some way or form. Made her feel beautiful, even when she didn't think she was_. _Tears began to pool in Quinn's eyes...he wasn't singing this to her, he was singing this about her.

Coming to the end of the song, with tears streaming down her cheeks, Quinn knew exactly what she had to do_. _Her voice projected perfectly over his and effectively drowned out both him and his guitar...

_"When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change. Cause you're amazing, just the way you are."_

Smiling warmly, she reached for his hand.

_"And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while. Cause boy you're amazing, just the way you are..."_

...

**_ANx2...Okay so yeah, a really sappy ending_**,_** but at** **least I got it done. I've had this idea since I first heard this song and really wanted to get it posted before they did it on the show(and effectively ruined it for me), but I didn't. Sorry. I believe there was also a prompt/request for this song in the Quartie forum...does that mean I can count this update as killing two birds? Anyway, hope it doesn't disappoint.  
**_

_**Quartie ficathon starts tomorrow. I really hope you all have a chance to enjoy the many stories that are sure to come. Have a Happy New Year everyone!  
**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**An authors note...I don't think I can ever express how much each and every review means to me. You guys are so amazing, thank you.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The first thing Quinn Fabray noticed while admiring her reflection in the mirror was how well it it still fit.

Like a glove.

Okay, like a glove that had been recently washed and accidentally thrown into the dryer, but it fit none the less. She smoothed a hand over her neatly tucked hair and smiled to herself. Then after taking a quick steadying breath, she clasped her fingers around the handle of the locker room door, and pulled.

Still on cloud nine from spending the previous two days celebrating her seventeenth birthday, only to end the 'Quinn appreciation weekend' with a special dinner in her honor at her favorite restaurant with the Abrams, she walked confidently down the hall.

Her mind began to replay the day. Waking up that morning before her alarm went off. Getting showered and dressed without any interruptions. Eating a hearty and delicious breakfast that was already on the table when she got downstairs. Receiving more affection from her boyfriend than usual...if that was at all possible. And managing to get out the door without Caroline spitting up on her even once. And now this.

Her smile widened, but her good fortune, it seemed, ended there.

"You did this to me," Santana shouted after she'd roughly pushed Quinn into the wall of lockers, "You told Coach Sylvester about my summer surgery."

"You have a surgery when you get your appendix out," Quinn spat back, "you got a boob job." The slap Santana delivered stung, but she quickly recovered. "You can't hit me."

"Sure I can," the Latina countered, getting right up into her face, "unless you got yourself knocked up again, Slut."

Shoving ensued, Brittany could be heard in the background mumbling something, and all of a sudden, Quinn was on the ground. Lucky for Santana though, Mr. Schue arrived before Quinn could get to her.

"Hey, hey, hey...what is this?" Will demanded, throwing himself between the battling girls. "What happened to us being a family?" He finally broke them apart, but Quinn was struggling to get free. "Hey."

"Oh please, she has a family...she's a mother..." Santana taunted.

"Don't you dare bring my daughter into this," Quinn screamed back.

"Why not? It's all fair game now," Santana retorted as she jutted her chest out pointedly. "You think that uniform somehow protects you? No. Nothing will ever change the fact that you have Noah Puckerman's bastard child, and nothing will redeem your lost reputation...except maybe dumping that pathetic cripple you're dating."

Quinn lurched forward, ready to rip those extension right out of her former best friends head, but Will held onto her tight. "That's enough Santana," he warned, glaring at the abrasive brunette.

And it was. Enough to know her words hit a nerve and made Quinn Fabray squirm like that. With the satisfaction of a job well done, Santana flashed that arrogant smirk and turned on her heel.

"Walk away," Quinn screamed to Santana's retreating back, as she struggled against Will's grasp, "and tighten up your pony before you get to class."

Santana's right hand shot up, middle finger poised toward the ceiling, effectively getting in the last word...or words as it turned out to be.

Feeling Quinn tremble in his arms, Will gently turned her so she was facing him and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"What she said..." the blond gasped out, her eyes wide and staring down the hall, "about Caroline...and Artie..."

"Was completely out of line," he finished for her.

Quinn nodded in stunned agreement. She could feel the adrenaline wear off and tears suddenly sprang to her eyes. A shutter ripped through her and she stumbled a bit. "Do you need to see the nurse...or principle Figgins?" Will asked worriedly.

"No, I'm fine," Quinn replied with a shake of her head and a steeling breath. "I'll see you in rehearsal," she added, both quickly and dismissively, before turning straight into the girls restroom.

...

Quinn was forced to face her nemesis not long after the altercation in the hall that left her shaken and embarrassed. Walking into the choir room at the same time Santana was trying to squeeze through the door, it wasn't a surprise when all eyes settled on them. The death glare they shot each other in passing, only added to the gossipy whispers.

Catching a glimpse of Artie in his usual spot, hands poised on his rims, face twisted in concern, Quinn rushed over and fell into the seat next to him...immediately feeling better. "You okay? " he asked in a rush of breath.

"Guess news travels fast around here," she quipped dryly, then pulled that genuine smile she only used for him. "I am now."

"You're not hurt or anything, are you?" he implored, his fingers lightly brushing her arm on their way to grasp her hand.

"Just my pride," Quinn retorted, eagerly returning his gesture with a firm squeeze.

Artie studied her for a moment to make sure, before asking, "What happened?"

Apprehensively, Quinn lifted her eyes to meet his, and let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed he'd been mercifully spared from finding out what hurtful things spewed from Santana's mouth. "She's just a spiteful bitch who's can't stand being knocked off her high horse..."

"So then, the rumors are _obviously_ true," Artie cut in, eying the familiar uniform that she honestly forgot she was even wearing.

Quinn was taken aback by his soft tone of his voice, in complete contrast to the disappointment and surprise evident in his eyes. "Artie, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," she whispered apologetically, "it all happened so fast, I've hardly had time to process myself. Her heart began to sink when his twisted frown intensified. "I wasn't even going to try out..."

"What about Caroline?" Artie stopped short of adding his own name to that question, even though he really wanted to. Besides, his Goddaughter's well being was far more important than anything else.

"That's exactly who I'm doing this for," Quinn assured him, lips spreading into a wide smile at just the thought of her baby girl. "I need to start preparing for our future...especially now that I had to drop most of my AP classes for regular ones." There was a pause as she mulled over that difficult decision once again. "My less than perfect grades are only going to get me so far Artie. I really need that athletic scholarship if I want to get into OSU."

Just the idea that Quinn wanted to apply to the same colleges as he had, made him grin like an idiot, and the notion that she actually wanted to go there_ because_ of him, sent him over the moon. But if that meant everything was going to change...

"I seem to remember you once telling me how you always dreamed of dating a cheerleader," Quinn giggled playfully into his ear, while rehearsal began around them. He managed to force a smile at that. "Looks like you finally got your wish," she added, pulling a satisfied grin without noticing how his faltered,"...and I got mine."

...

"Hey Sweetie," Alicia chirped by way of greeting.

"Hi Mom," came the soft reply.

She took a moment to study her sullen looking son. "Is everything alright Artie?"

His head shot up not because he was surprised by the question, but by the way she worded it. It was a rarity for Alicia Abrams to use any of her childrens names when speaking directly to them. Usually she would just slip a term of endearment in place of it, as was the case at the beginning of their conversation.

Out of the three, four if you count Quinn...Andy's given name could be heard most frequently, but that was usually because he was getting reprimanded for something. So for her to use Artie's at that moment, she must have been worried.

"Yeah," was all that came out, and not very convincingly.

"Where's Quinn?" Alicia tried another approach.

"Cheerios practice." And that when she saw it, that flicker of disappointment behind his eyes. Alicia nodded to convey she was well aware of Quinn's new status.

"Then why are you home?" she inquired, knowing he was her ride.

"She said it was ridiculous for me to wait around since her and Andy could just get a ride home from Harry's mom," Artie replied, trying his best to remain casual and indifferent, but unfortunately that didn't last past his next thought. "You can have the van back."

"Then what are you supposed to drive?" Alicia countered pointedly as she watched him toss the keys onto the kitchen counter. "It's the only vehicle equipped..."

"I know that Mom," Artie shot back, a little harsher than he'd intended, and quickly flashed his mother an apologetic grimace. She responded with a curiously raised brow and an equally concerned expression. "But it's stupid for me to take the van every day, just to have it sit in the schools parking lot, while your trying to cram Abbey and Caroline into the backseat of Quinn's little car. Since it's just the two of us again now that Andy's taking the bus, it makes sense for Quinn to drive again..." At his pause, Alicia could tell that the possible shift in driving arrangements was bothering him, though she wasn't completely convinced it was the only thing. "I have jazz band rehearsal on Tuesday and Thursday anyway...and I could just hang out in the library at school on the other days to finish any homework..."

"Except for Wednesdays..."

Their words carried over one another, with hers resonating loud in Artie's ears. "Because I have physio...I know," he finished with a heavy sigh.

Stepping up behind him, Alicia placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned down so her face was next to his, "Artie honey, what's really bothering you?"

She felt him shrug underneath her hand, then watched as he twisted his head up to look at her. "I don't understand why she didn't tell me Mom." Alicia's heart ached for him, like it had so many times before, and she sat down next to him. "She usually tells me everything and this is a pretty big deal. I found out just like everyone else..."

"She probably didn't have a chance Sweetie," Alicia cut in reassuringly . Artie was thankful for that, and figured it best not to mention Quinn's involvement in that hallway brawl with Santana Lopez...or the fact that he found out all of his information through McKinley High's biggest gossip, Jacob Ben Israel.

"She could have called or at least texted."

"While you were in class?" Alicia countered skeptically, in response to his retort.

Artie gave a sheepish shrug to which Alicia couldn't help but smile at. "Sweetie, when she called at lunchtime to ask if it would be okay...you know, with me and Caroline and everything...she honestly seemed like all of this was just sprung on her."

He began nodding in agreement, then..._hold up, did she just say lunchtime?_ Quinn told him in glee practice that tryouts had been held during her gym class. She had gym after lunch and they had lunch together. So if she'd called his mom before lunch, that would explain why she was running a few minutes late, but then she must have already known...

Alicia could see Artie's expression slowly cloud over.

"Great, you're home," an excited Abbey squealed from the entry as she took off for her brother. "I'm trying to teach Caroline how to..."

Artie put out his hand to stop her. "Not now Abbey."

"But I was just going to give you a hug," she muttered, backing away, confused.

Too distracted to comply to her soft plea, Artie tugged at the wheels of his chair. "I'm gonna go to my room."

Dejectedly, Abbey followed her brother with her eyes until he disappeared from view. "What's wrong with Artie?" she asked, looking up at her mother.

"He's dealing with some things that happened at school today," Alicia explained casually and in a way that would appease an eight year old.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Abbey countered with deep concern.

Alicia couldn't help but smile down at her little girl. "I'm sure he will Sweetie."

...

It didn't help that Quinn and Andy came home bantering and laughing like they'd been best friends forever. His brother, the moody, obstinate, cocky kid with an attitude the size of Mount Rushmore, was joking around with his girlfriend...who seemed to be enjoying it.

And it really didn't help when halfway through dinner, his little sister declared she now wanted to be a cheerleader..."Just like Quinn."

But later that evening, Alicia smiled as she watched the sweet exchange take place from her spot on the couch...and was only mildly surprised when Artie headed toward the family room instead of retreating to his bedroom to get ready for the night. "Everything okay between you two now?" she asked, her smile turning into a pointed smirk.

"It was a misunderstanding, she explained everything," Artie nodded sheepishly and grinned, but Alicia noticed how it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"But?"

Artie lowered his gaze to his lap and shrugged. "I don't know Mom, it's just..." his words trailed off in his struggle to find the right way to explain what he was feeling. A warm hand encased his and he let out the breath he was holding. "It's just now she's head cheerleader again, the most popular girl in the school and I'm...well I'm still just...me."

Alicia gave a small squeeze. "The boy Quinn likes," she stated softly, but with no less conviction. Artie lifted his eyes to meet hers and found her beaming at him. "The boy Quinn's dating...the boy Quinn chose."

Sometimes all it takes is that little reassurance from you mother, and while that twisty feeling in the pit of his stomach was still there, Artie smiled back.

...

_**ANx2...Borrowed(and tweaked) some of the fight scene from Audition, because well, I loved it, and, it fits so nicely into this story arc. Look for other references from the current season coming up in future chapters. Also, I must apologize for the delay in updates, there really is no excuse for it...so I'll just blame it all on Megan:{**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**An authors note...Uh Oh, I was afraid of this. I hope I didn't lose any of you because of the last chapter. You'll have to blame it all on my muse, I only go where she tells me to go, and right now we're on a twisty path to angst-ville. Though hopefully not for very long:)  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

His name was Sam Evans. He was sixteen, a Junior who recently transferred to Ohio from California. He was tall, muscular and very blond. A jock, playing a sport a season; football in the fall, basketball in winter and baseball in the spring. He mentioned he was dyslexic, sometimes struggled to keep his grades up and liked to sing.

Aside from his fair coloring, mellow disposition and desire to join Glee Club, Sam reminded Artie a lot of his brother...except Andy had never looked at Quinn like _that_ before.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Quinn glanced up to find a broad, almost blindingly white smile being cast her way. "It's a free country," she snapped, annoyed that the 'new guy' had interrupted the conversation she was having with Artie, just to ask if he could sit in the only chair in the room that wasn't currently occupied. But then she remembered her manners. "We don't have assigned seating here...any open spot is fair game."

"Thanks," he returned, but didn't sit yet. "Sam Evans."

Quinn glanced from the hand thrust into her face, back up to the boys face, her brain already formulating the sarcastic retort reminding him that was exactly who Mr. Schuester introduced him as. She shifted uncomfortably...damn, this uniform did funny things to her. "Quinn Fabray," she greeted instead, shaking the proffered hand as she glanced to her right. "This is Ar..."

"Yeah, we've already met," Sam cut in, throwing a friendly nod Artie's way as he began lowering himself into the chair beside Quinn. "It was Finn who suggested I audition, and the guys were nice enough to help me build up the confidence to actually do it."

But Quinn was only half listening to his tale, whatever Artie was saying was way more interesting. Sam took a moment to survey the room and quickly came to a unanimous conclusion. "You guys are a friendly bunch, aren't you?" Quinn giggled in response to Artie's ridiculously adorable comment about his mad diaper changing skills, and thinking it was because of what he had said, Sam turned his head just as the pair were going in for a tender kiss. "Wow, really, _really_ friendly."

Quinn pulled away, blushing. "Oh no...he's my boyfriend," she explained laughingly.

"Really?"

Sam sounded surprised and for some reason, that irritated Quinn. "Yes really," she spat defensively.

"Oh, well...that's cool," Sam sputtered, shifting uncomfortably under her smoldering glare. Quinn hadn't realized she was clenching Artie's hand so tight, until she felt him struggle to wiggle his fingers. She flashed an apologetic glance his way, which was received and returned with a gentle thumb running across her knuckles.

"Actually, the majority of this club is paired up in one way or another," Artie stated, ignoring the previous exchange and throwing a pointed glance over his shoulder. "Mercedes and Matt over there are dating...even it they won't admit it to anyone."

Quinn let out a breathy chuckle and visibly relaxed. "So are Finn and Rachel and Tina and Mike," she added to Artie's disclosure, "and Santana's getting naked with Puckerman..."

Artie held back his laughter, but couldn't hide his amusement. "Kurt over there is gay...," he announced, motioning over to the impeccably dressed boy with the curious accessory sprawled across his lap, "...but him and Brittany have this really weird BFF thing going on." His grin widened and he winked at Quinn. "Makes me wonder sometimes."

The inside joke was lost on Sam, but he managed to come up with at least some sort of response. "Doesn't leave much hope for number thirteen then, does it?"

Artie cringed internally. He knew it was totally illogical to let something as stupid as a number bother him like that, but it did. Okay, maybe not illogical, considering that his accident did take place on the thirteenth, or more precisely a Friday the thirteenth and his mothers had since developed a strong aversion to any and all things that contained it...just more like irrational.

"Not to worry," Quinn piped in teasingly, "we did say Kurt was gay, so Brittany is actually available to date..." she paused and shared a short laugh with Sam, then gave a dismissive roll of the eyes. "Besides, this is high school, most of the kids here change relationships more often then they change socks."

"We can introduce you two after class, if you'd like," Artie offered as a way to keep his mind from drifting back to his previous thoughts.

Sam smirked and gave a half shrug of agreement, "Sure. I always did have a thing for blond cheerleaders."

Frowning at the suggestiveness of that comment and the shifty glint in Sam's eye, Artie opened his mouth to retract his previous statement when Mr. Schuester stepped over to them, brow raised pointedly. "If you three are finished with your conversation...we'd like to join us for rehearsal."

...

Artie sat watching the clock. He knew he needed to leave soon, but an inexplicable flutter in his stomach was holding him back. As if reading his mind, Quinn leaned over and whispered into his ear. "You'd better leave now if you're going to get there on time."

"I think I'm gonna skip today," he casually replied.

"Artie, you can't just skip physio," she retorted, still under her breath, but with enough conviction behind it to show she meant business.

"Sure I can, it's no big deal," he shrugged dismissively, then flashed her that brilliant smile. "I'll just make sure to do some extra stretches before bed tonight."

Quinn responded with a frown of disapproval. "That's not the same and you know it."

"Fine," Artie heaved a playful sigh of annoyance and rolled his eyes, "I'll use my braces and crutches too."

"Again, not the same." Her insistence made his grin falter. "Besides the fact that Mom will kill you, and me, if you miss a session without a valid reason...you know it's best if you work with your therapist..."

He opened his mouth to protest. Yes, he was _fully_ aware of what was best...

"Um, Artie?" Will called before he was able to get anything out, and motioned up at the clock. "Don't you usually have to leave a little early on Wednesdays?"

Artie's mouth twisted in a frown of resignation. Apparently, there was no way he was getting out of this. "Um, yeah Mr. Schue...thanks, " he forced both the words and the smile, "I was just getting my things ready." And by ready he meant tugging on his gloves and snapping off his brakes.

When he looked over at her, Artie found Quinn smiling sweetly at him, but even that wasn't enough to make him feel better about leaving. "Have a good session," she muttered sweetly and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before letting him go. "I'll see you at home."

"You two live together?" Sam gasped incredulously as his eyes followed Artie out of the room.

"Yes," Quinn answered, rolling hers at his dramatic inquiry. "My daughter and I live with his family."

"You two have a kid together?"

Quinn was getting a little annoyed at his repetitiveness, but even more so by the noticeable skepticism in his voice. "Um no, not together," she corrected both verbally and visually as her gaze shifted across the room. "She's Noah Puckerman's."

Sam threw his head over his shoulder to look at the jock in question. "You dated him?"

"No, I made a baby with him," Quinn shot back, clearly exasperated and wishing Artie was there to help with damage control, or to just get this guy to shut up. Yet for some unimaginable reason, she could not stop herself from answering him. "I was dating Finn Hudson at the time."

"Whoa," he gasped, eyes widening in disbelief. Quinn supposed she really couldn't blame him, her life _was_ like a storyline from a bad soap opera.

"To make a long story short, I got drunk, got pregnant, got kicked out of my house, got dumped..." Her bitter words trailed off, replaced by a small smile and softening tone. "That's when I moved in with Artie and his family..."

"Well everyone makes mistakes..."

"My daughter is not some mistake," Quinn snapped, nearly biting his head off.

"I...sorry, I'm...I didn't..."

"She's the best thing that even happened to me," Quinn paused thoughtfully, then smiled, "And so is..."

"Guys...I need you to focus please," Mr. Schuester's voice rang out, mildly scolding the pair this time. But Quinn didn't mind. Even without finishing her sentence, she was still thinking about Caroline, and Artie...the two best things that had ever happened to her.

...

Artie was surprised when he beat Quinn and Andy home...and a little disappointed. His mood however was instantly brightened with the arrival of two of his favorite girls. "Caroline wants to see you Artie," Abbey declared as she deposited the baby onto his right knee.

"Oh does she?" he returned with a teasing grin.

"Abbigayle, what did I tell you about walking around the house with the baby?" Alicia asked pointedly.

The little girl finished her careful climb onto her brothers vacant thigh before pleading her defense, "But I held her just the way you told me to."

Alicia knew no matter how stern her best glare of disapproval may be, it was no match for the sight of those three beautiful faces smiling up at her. Shaking her head in mock defeat, she just walked back over to the stove and tried to validate her obvious amusement by changing the subject. "How was your session today Sweetie?"

Artie glanced up at his mother and gave a casual shrug, "Same as always."

Alicia would have liked him to go into a little more detail than that, especially since she was no longer driving, and therefore not privy to those instant progress reports anymore. But she also knew better than to press the issue. Artie was old enough and definitely competent enough to handle things on his own...and if there were ever any serious issues, she hoped he would come to her.

"Good, that means you should be starving," she quipped, grinning playfully at him, "and dinner is just about done..." At Artie's questioning gaze, Alicia's expression softened. "They're on their way home...Quinn called right before you came in." He gave an appreciative nod to which his mother returned with another smile. "Why don't you two help me get this stuff to the table."

Abbey quickly slid off of her brothers lap.

"I'll take her," Alicia called out pointedly, just as the little girl was going in for the baby again. Artie bit back a chuckle at the deep frown this elicited in his sister. "You can get the rolls," mother told daughter, then turned to son, "and Artie will take the salad."

He looked up to find the bowl and bottles of dressing already sitting on a tray for easier transport. Artie smiled to himself. His mother was always so creative and intuitive when it came to those little things that made life easier for him, without ever drawing attention to the fact that he wouldn't be able to do most of them otherwise without assistance. He supposed after having done it for nine years, it was like second nature for her. And for that, he was grateful.

"Hey Ace, I was wondering if you could help me with something," Art asked as they both entered the dinning room at the same time.

"Sure Dad. What's up?" Artie grinned, pulling to a stop just short of the table.

"I have these two new accounts, both heavily in the music field, one's a revamp and the other is a brand new building. I'm having a little trouble figuring out the acoustics and I'd like your opinion on some of the designs I came up with. Maybe we could even bounce some ideas off of one another."

It didn't come as a total shock, he knew his father had designed only a few structures of this nature, but this was the first time he'd asked Artie to help. A smile spread from ear to ear. "Um yeah, that sounds great. I'd love to."

From the other side of the room, Alicia was smiling at the very special exchange taking place between her husband and son. The moment didn't last long though, for as soon as Artie accepted his fathers request, the sound of playful banter filled the air.

"...yeah right Andy." The reverberation of Quinn's laughter could be heard immediately after, and when Artie twisted around, he saw his girlfriend practically skipping toward him. "Hey, I missed you," she whispered breathlessly as she leaned down for a kiss.

"I missed you too," he mumbled into her approaching lips.

Quinn flashed a smile at him after they broke apart, then eagerly accepted the bundle Alicia was offering. "Mommy missed you too, little one," she cooed, peppering Caroline's pudgy cheeks with soft kisses. "Sorry we're so late...Coach Sylvester wasn't happy with the junior varsity performance, so she made us stay to show them how it's supposed to be done."

Artie beamed proudly at her, which in turn made Quinn's smile falter slightly. "She said if they can't get it by Friday, she'll cut everybody and make the varsity squad cheer for both games."

"That's okay, I was planning on staying for both anyway."

Quinn couldn't help but smile at her boyfriend for that. "You were?"

Artie gave her that 'Duh, of course I was' expression that made him look so incredibly adorable.

"What about you Champ...how was practice?"

At the sound of his fathers exuberant voice, Artie turned his head.

"It was awesome Dad," Andy exclaimed as excitedly as the usually moody boy could get.

"You ready for the first game of your high school career?"

Are you kidding?" Andy retorted sarcastically. "I've never been more ready...and Coach so impressed with my hitting, she said she might put me in at starting Linebacker."

"No way," Art bellowed with pride, and wrestled his boy into a giant bear hug. "Wow, that's amazing Andy," he added with a clap to the back.

"And a more than just little dangerous," Alicia voiced in her concern, which in turn made Andy roll his eyes.

"Mom, they shuffle players around all the time," he explained dismissively. "And it's my favorite position...Dad was a Linebacker."

"Like father, like son," Art boasted with immense pride.

Alicia didn't miss the way Andy's face radiated from the praise, or how Artie's chin slowly dropped to his chest...couldn't help but notice even Quinn was having a hard time getting his attention.

"Huh?" Artie grunted, turning his head away from the other conversation.

"I was just saying that you didn't miss anything at rehearsal," Quinn grinned as she repeated her previous statement. "Mr. Schuester said we'll brainstorm ideas for invitationals on Friday."

"Oh, okay...good," he replied distractedly, but managed to make it over to the table his mother was ushering them to.

"We'd better eat, before the meatloaf gets cold and the mashed potatoes turn to glue." Alicia's attempt to lighten certain moods had everyone at the table laughing...well, all but one.

...

**_ANx2...I would like to implore you to please_ _give this arc a chance, even if some things seem a little ooc. I promise the character development I'm shooting for will be well worth the wait(at least, I believe it will)._**


	12. Chapter 12

_**An authors note...**__**I have to say that hearing how much you, the readers, are enjoying this story gives me the greatest feeling ever. My hope is to never disappoint you, yet the reality is, I can't please everyone. But I do promise to try:) Feedback and suggestions are always welcome and greatly appreciated, Thanks!**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

By the time Friday rolled around the Abrams household as well as the entire student body at McKinley High School had football fever. Privileged with a new coach, a coach who had been in charge of teams that had actually won games, as well as talented new blood...one Andy Abrams to be exact...this was destined to be the greatest season the Titans would ever see.

"Um, hey...Puck?" Artie greeted, then immediately threw a questioning glance his mothers way. She just smiled sweetly and continued whisking the eggs she was preparing to scramble. "What are you doing in my kitchen at...," he glanced at the clock, "...7:03 am on a Friday morning."

"Game day Dude," he grunted excitedly before his expression returned to it's ever present smirk. "You're Mom invited me over last night when I dropped off the little bro and girlfriend..."

Artie's mind drifted back to the text he had received from Quinn somewhere around 5pm yesterday afternoon, telling him not to bother waiting for them any longer, she wasn't getting out of practice anytime soon. They ended up not getting home until after nine.

"...but you weren't around."

Artie blushed. No, he was busy getting ready for bed at that time, and it wasn't like his nightly routine was a process he could rush.

"...plus I have something to give Caroline," he heard Puck say, then ask, "Hey Mrs. A...am I doing this right?"

"I'm sure you're doing just fine Noah," Alicia assured him from the other side of the room.

Artie looked up, grimaced, and made it over to Puck's side in under five seconds. "That would probably be more effective if you actually got the food_ into_ her mouth, instead of all over her face."

"I'm trying genius, but she wont open up for me," Noah snapped back, trying futilely to coax the infant cereal coated spoon into his daughters tightly pursed lips.

"Just get her to laugh."

Puck narrowed his eyes at the casualness of Artie's tone. "Easier said than done," he mumbled under his breath.

Artie bit back a chuckle as he moved himself closer to the table. "Here, if you could just put her down on that chair, I'll show you," he insisted, motioning between the bowl and the baby. Puck let out an indignant snort, but followed the smaller boys directions and carefully balanced Caroline's activity seat on the kitchen chair closest to Artie.

As soon as Caroline's gaze landed on her Godfather, she let out a great big squeal of delight, complete with waving arms, kicking feet and a wide gummy smile. Artie took the opportunity to easily slip the spoon into her unsuspecting mouth.

"What the fu...hell Man," Puck bellowed, correcting himself before he let any vulgarity slip in front of Mrs. Abrams, "you didn't even do anything."

"What can I say?," Artie countered smugly, "I'm the Master."

Letting out a huff of exasperation, though not very convincingly, Noah shook his head. "That or she just thinks your dorky nerd face is hysterical."

Artie could almost feel the glare his mother was giving Puck, even though it was obvious their banter was all in good fun. He flashed her a quick glance over his shoulder and grinned mischievously, before turning back to Noah. "She thinks I'm endearing, just like her mother does," he retorted wittily.

If that did hit a nerve that Artie wasn't aiming for, Puck wasn't showing it. "Well excuse me," he returned in mock defense, gesturing wildly with his hands. "I don't live with her so I haven't had to do this whole baby...food...feeding...thing, yet."

"Okay, let me show you how it's done then," Artie volunteered with a teasing chuckle. "So, you fill the spoon...not too much though...making sure to scrape the bottom of it along the rim of the bowl so it doesn't drip on her." He continued to demonstrate as he instructed. "Then you bring the spoon to her lips and wait for her to open her mouth." As it tuned out, Caroline had been smiling at Artie the entire time, which made the feeding part of the presentation, a piece of cake. "See?"

Puck smirked as he motioned to the runny white substance dribbling down Caroline's chin. "Ah Dude."

But that didn't seem to phase Artie at all. "She's still getting used to swallowing texture, so some of it's bound to come back out. When that happens, you just gently run the spoon under the excess..."

"No way Dude, " Noah gasped incredulously, "she spit that out...and you're...you're recycling it?"

Artie let out an unexpected burst of laughter. "Relax Puck...it's not like I spit it out of my mouth and gave it to her. It was already hers." He watched as the big, tough jock wrinkled his face in disgust. "Besides, if you didn't do it that way, she'd end up wearing most of it instead of ingesting it."

"...still freakin' gross if you ask me," he murmured under his breath.

"Well I didn't," Artie chided playfully, as he passed the bowl back to Noah. "Now you give it a try."

Wordlessly, Puck moved Caroline back up to the table, where she was again at the appropriate height for him. He followed Artie's instructions to the letter, but when it came time for Caroline to do her part, she clamped her jaw shut. "She won't do it for me," Noah whined, causing Artie to bite back a chuckle.

"Try again," the smaller boy offered, thoroughly amused. Puck did, and this time Caroline looked up at him, pursed her lips together and began blowing raspberries...a trick her father was starting to regret teaching her.

With a glare over his shoulder at a snickering Artie, Noah was met with an encouraging smile, which succeeded in lessening his building anxiety...but only until the third attempt was foiled by the commotion coming from the other end of the house. Just as the spoon neared her partially open mouth, Caroline twisted her entire body to side as much as she could against the safety restraints of her seat, and Puck ended up feeding her ear.

Noah was about ready to throw in the towel when he was handed one, and quickly got to work cleaning off the side of his daughters face. Just in time too. For mere seconds after he'd eliminated any evidence he was having issues getting Caroline to eat for him, the noises peaked and Quinn walked into the kitchen with an excited Abbey bounding in after her.

"Morning." She came up behind Artie and gave him a peck on the cheek before continuing on towards Caroline. "And hello to you too baby girl."

Even before the baby's eyes widened with delight at seeing her mother, Artie knew what was about to happen. "Now," he instructed Noah, and as soon as her lips parted even slightly, Puck was right there with the spoon.

Success.

Artie was smiling at Quinn, who was smiling at Caroline, when Abbey jumped in front of him. "How do I look?" she asked her bother.

He carefully studied her outfit...red t-shirt with Cheerios logo, pleated denim skirt, white ankle socks and tennis shoes. If it wasn't for the different material of the skirt, pigtails instead of a pony, and blue eyes instead of hazel, she would have..."You look just like Quinn."

Abbey's grin was impossibly wide as she clapped her hands together and bounced up and down on her toes. That was obviously the look she was going for. "She said I can keep it," the little girl squealed, fingering the material of the slightly too big shirt.

"It's a fitted tee and a size extra small," Quinn explained while making a slightly self-conscious gesture down at her naturally enhanced post baby bust and rolled her eyes, "I'll never fit into it again."

"And she said she can get me some pompoms for the game," Abbey quickly added.

Quinn giggled at Abbey's enthusiasm. "Coach Sylvester buys new ones every year, and so we have all these extra ones packed away in the storage room..."

"That reminds me," Noah cut in hastily, just a little too eager to push feeding Caroline back over to Artie. He handed off the bowl and practically sprinted over to where he'd dropped his backpack. "I know she's a girl, and well, little...," his words trailed off, but a smirk soon spread across his lips once he'd found what he was looking for. "Coach sent me and Finn to pick up the new equipment the other day and I saw they make customized jerseys...so I had one made for her," Puck continued cautiously. I was hard to predict how Quinn would react to something like this...somethings she's fine with, others she's not...

"Oh my God...that has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen," she gasped excitedly.

A good reaction.

Quinn held up the tiny garment up between her fingers, turning it back to front. It was and exact replica of her fathers, complete with the white number twenty and the miniature blocked letters of his last name. "Isn't this adorable?" she turned to ask Artie.

"Yeah," he replied, still distracted by the task of trying to figure out how he was supposed to finish feeding Caroline now that she was back on the table and out of his reach. He was surprised that when Quinn noticed his predicament, she simply took the bowl from his hand and began feeding Caroline herself, instead of lowering the baby to his level...and a little disappointed.

Puck reclaimed the discarded jersey from the table and held it up again. He was just about to say something else when Art and Andy walked in the room. "Daddy, look what Noah got for Caroline," Abbey chirped playfully.

"Nice," Art smiled approvingly. "I think we should get something like that too...," he suggested in place of those generic WMHS athletics, parent sweatshirts he and Alica had purchased at registration, "...Abrams number 17."

"That's okay," Andy muttered dismissively under his breath.

"Now we all have something to wear to the game tonight," Abbey pointed out, but then paused and turned around. "What are you going to wear Artie?"

He looked down at his gray sweater vest and frowned. "Well I was planning on..."

"You look just fine," Quinn assured him as she ran her hand across his shoulder. "And you can totally show support by bringing your letter-man jacket and throwing it over the back of your chair."

"I don't have one," he replied, slightly thrown off guard by that statement.

That would explain when she'd never seen him in it, but still, Quinn was sure..."But you're in band..."

"Jazz Band," Artie returned simply. "Only the marching band gets the jackets."

"And they don't give them out to dork or geek club members," Andy shot out teasingly, which quickly earned him a warning glare from not one, but both of his parents.

Ignoring his brothers comments, Artie was glad to turn away from the apologetic expression Quinn was wearing, or the almost rueful look on Puck's face. "Hey Dad, shouldn't you be on your way to work?" he asked his father instead.

"I'm laying low today," Art joked playfully. "Just heading in for a midday meeting and lunch with some clients. I want to make sure I'm home for all the excitement."

"And to help me out when the grandparents arrive," Alicia supplied pointedly.

"Grandma and Grandpa are coming?" Andy asked incredulously.

"Both sets," Art added with a widening grin, "and a bunch of the extended family."

Artie tried not to look too surprised, but his fathers parents hardly ever came up; birthdays, holidays and special occasions were really the only times they visited. He supposed this would be classified as a special occasion...like Andy's baseball tournaments or Abbey's dance recitals were...

"...everybody wants to see the new starting linebacker in his high school debut."

And that just confirmed it. Artie caught his mother looking at him and he flashed her a wide smile. "That reminds me Honey," she called out to him, hoping to mask some of her concern with casualness. "If you're taking the van today, would you mind swinging back home after school to pick some of us up?"

Artie was just about to accept when Puck suggested an alternative. "That's stupid Mrs. A, I can give them a lift. That way we could have a little jock/Cheerio bondage on the way there."

"Yeah, sure," Andy agreed immediately.

"I think you mean bonding," Quinn corrected with an indignant chuckle, and she would have been next to agree if it wasn't for the fact that the four of them could not all safely fit in the cab of his truck, not to mention the chore it would be just to get her boyfriend up into said cab. She half expected Puck to suggest they tie Artie and his wheelchair to the back of the truck bed, and that thought alone made her shutter. "But that's okay, I don't mind driving," she interjected. "That way the van can stay here and..."

But apparently Artie had a knack for reading minds, or maybe it was just expressions. "Dad can take me on his way in to the office," he offered in conjunction with a hopeful glance in his fathers direction. "Right?" And when Art nodded, Artie smiled.

There was a bunch of special little things going on throughout the day for the football players and the Cheerios, and Artie didn't want Quinn to miss any of it, especially because of him, but he could see the reluctance in her eyes. "You guys go bond," he whispered insistently and reached for her hands. "I'll see you at school."

...

Unfortunately though, Artie did not get to see Quinn at school. Sue had principal Figgins excuse the Cheerios from their morning classes due to mandatory rehearsals. They were able to eat lunch, but only in the locker room and only from a specially designed menu that was catered from a local health market. So it shouldn't have been surprising when more than half the glee club didn't show up for rehearsal after school...but it didn't make it any less disappointing.

Sitting in the stands in the designated handicapped section, away from his family, but kept company by a yo-yo-ing Abbey and company, a giant foam finger she made their father buy him and a half eaten tray of cold cheese covered nachos, Artie couldn't be happier. His brothers junior varsity team had just won the first game of the season, and against one of the toughest teams in their division. His girlfriend was about to make her own debut as the head cheerleader of the varsity squad, and he was there to cheer her and his fellow glee club members to victory.

"Your brother wants to go out to celebrate tonight," Alicia informed her eldest. "We can wait for..."

"It's okay," he cut in casually, then remembered..."Wait, what about you?"

Alicia cupped his cheek in her hand and smiled. He was always such a sweetheart. "We can just go out again tomorrow."

"But _today's_ your birthday," he returned pointedly, a hint of disappointment evident in his tone.

"And I refuse to celebrate it without all of my children there," she countered just as emphatically. "It can wait. Tonight's Andy's night."

"So this has nothing to do with you trying to pretend that your birthday doesn't exist?," Artie teased playfully.

"Not a thing," Alicia smirked innocently.

"Like we'd ever let her forget it," Colleen snickered conspiratorially at Artie as she passed.

Alicia let out a small chuckle and rolled her eyes at her baby sisters comment before turning back to her son and asking in a frank but subtle way, "Do you have everything you need?"

Artie scanned the area around him...diaper bag, car seat, baby...and nodded.

"Are you sure he'll be able to handle her all by himself Alicia?"

Artie knew his grandmother Abrams meant well, thought she didn't always go about it tactfully...or quietly for that matter. "We'll be fine," he declared, speaking for both himself and the content baby sitting on his lap.

Alicia had no doubt...if the beam that spread across his lips, once he spotted Quinn jogging across the field, was any indication.

...

**_ANx2+small edit+bigger edit on 2/10/11...Not completely thrilled with the ending, but this is meant to be a filler chapter, so...  
Just happy to get it done. _**


	13. Chapter 13

_**An authors note...**__**I must apologize for the minor oversight in the last chapter. As I was reading through my draft for this chapter, I realized I left that detail out. All revisions have since been made and posted. I'd also like to express my gratitude for the amazing feedback I'm getting on this story, and how much it has helped me shape future chapters. I've had a plan all along on where this arc as well as this story, is going, and while I will be sticking to that for the most part, your ideas and request are very important to me. There are still a few hurdles to get through before we see any type of resolution, but I really hope you stick with me through it. We'll get there...eventually.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The weekend proved to a football filled frenzy. Not only did Friday consist of back to back games at McKinley high, but Saturday was looking to be forecast with much of the same.

Arriving home from a less than satisfactory physio session, Artie was looking forward to spending the rest of the afternoon crashed on the couch with his girlfriend, his Goddaughter and probably his little sister. He pushed into the kitchen after first depositing his keys in the bowl on the low counter, to find the room was currently empty.

There was a noise coming from the laundry room which proved to be nothing more than the vibration of the dryer causing the empty basket on the floor to rattle against it. Returning to the kitchen, Artie noticed a delicious aroma coming from the oven. He was just about to reach up for the handle when approaching footsteps alerted him, and he turned to see Alicia walking in carrying Caroline's little clothes hamper.

"Hey Mom."

"Hi Sweetie," Alicia greeted happily. She was never _not_ happy to see him. "I was just thinking it was almost time for you to get home."

"Best part of my day so far," Artie returned, his delivery lighthearted and joking, but his declaration, dead serious. "Where's everyone at?" he asked, following her back into the laundry room.

"Well, Quinn's filling in at the dance studio, two of the instructors are out sick," she explained as she loaded the baby's clothes into the washing machine. "Abbey got bored without the two of you here and went down the street for a play date. Caroline is down for a nap...and Dad, Andy and Noah are in the living room."

Artie's curiosity overrode his disappointment and he knitted his brow. "Puck's here?"

"He came to pick Caroline up, but she was so fussy we decided it would be best to keep her here and put her down in stead," she answered, her expression softening a bit as her lips pulled up into a small smile. "I'm pretty sure she's teething and he would have had to deal with that on his own since his mother is working a double shift today and his sister is at their grandmothers. What can I say? I took pity on him."

"That explains all the food," he quipped playfully, eliciting a small lighthearted chuckle from his mother.

"Dad invited him to stay and watch some college football with him and Andy," Alicia went on while casually going about her chores. "The OSU game should be on soon."

If the pointed tone of her voice wasn't enough, the proud grin that followed sure was. His Dad played football for Ohio State his Freshman and Sophomore years, it was his Alma mater, and hers, and soon to be Artie's if he got accepted...when he got accepted. With his good grades and impeccable school record, he was a shoo-in for a full ride scholarship. Though that would be as far as figuratively walking in his fathers footsteps would go.

"I'll go say hi."

Even though the trio was in a heated debate over player stats, it didn't take long for Artie to get noticed. "Dude, next time it's the birthday of one of your family members...give me a heads up," Puck gave the snarky reprimand as his greeting. "I look like a total ass for missing your mom's."

"Well, if you would have gotten here a half hour earlier yesterday morning, you could have joined us when we sang to her," Artie retorted teasingly.

Noah gave a noncommittal shrug, but didn't miss the chance to add, "Still, you could have said something."

"Fine," Artie sighed, heaving a mock sigh of annoyance even though he was pretty stoked with how easily the banter was flowing between him and...of all people...Noah Puckerman. "Andy's is next...November thirtieth."

Art, amused by the playful exchange, spoke next. "Hey Ace, how was your..."

"It was fine," Artie cut in dismissively, hoping to curb any curiosity that may have been piqued by that question, especially with Andy in the room. All Puck needed to know was what he already knew, that he was at physical therapy...nothing more. He really wished that his father hadn't brought it up at all because now the almost pleasant conversation they were having was replaced by awkwardness and had the tough jock sitting there, staring at Artie's legs with that sympathetic look...or as sympathetic as Puckerman could be...shifting uncomfortably and...

"Here's some more chips and the sandwiches," Alicia announced while simultaneously placing the bowl and platter on the coffee table. A distraction for which Artie, his pride, and his stomach, were truly grateful for. "I just put the hot taco dip under the broiler, it only needs a few minutes...as soon as the cheese starts to bubble..."

He hadn't even realized his mothers words had trailed off, or had they, until her voice rang out in askance, "Sandwich, Sweetie."

"Sure Mom, thanks," Artie replied, smiling up at her as he reached out for the plate she offering. She smiled back, then mumbled something incoherently under her breath, possibly about the oven, and quickly rushed from the room.

Artie resumed watching the way his dad, brother and Puck interacted. It was interesting to say the least...three big masculine men, huddled together on the sofa, discussing coaching styles like they were chatting about Oprah's new book club entry. Even Andy was contributing...and willingly too. It also seemed so natural...making something deep within Artie twist painfully. Just as he was about to lower his plate to his lap, Alica returned to the room, serving him first because one, she had to pass him first, and two, because she knew it was his favorite...and Quinn's recipe, and delicious. Artie gave her a smile to which she returned with her own grin and another heaping spoonful of bubbling dip.

"Thanks Mrs. A, this spread is awesome," he heard Puck say, laying it on thick.

"You're very welcome Noah," Alicia returned over her shoulder, smiling.

"My mom is a total ninja when it comes to food."

Alicia's expression clouded slightly, but her smile lit reflexively. It sounded like a compliment..."Thank you Andy honey," she replied just that was how he'd meant it. After pausing a moment to set the dip on the coffee table in front of them, she asked if there was anything else she could get. There were a chorus of muffled no's, followed by a brief silence as the television reclaimed the trios attention. Alicia scanned the room again and noticed..."Artie, you don't have anything to drink...let me get you something...

"It's okay Mom, I can get it," he answered, quickly roused from his thoughts.

"No Honey stay," she insisted, smiling brightly. "I wouldn't want you to miss the game."

Artie glanced to his right. As much as he would love to be a part of the bonding session that was going on a few feet away, he knew that wasn't going to happen...it was obvious that three was company and four would be a crowd so...

"I'd rather eat lunch with you in the kitchen."

Alicia's expression softened before turning slightly skeptical. "Honey, you don't have to do that..."

"No," he agreed beaming up at her after he cast another sideways glance and knew for sure, "but I want to."

...

"Oh my gosh, that's so sweet."

"Wait, it gets better," Quinn grinned as she gushed to the group of Cheerios gathered around her locker. "So he texed me while I was at work and asked me to meet him at the grocery store when I got off. We picked out all of her favorites...right down to the cake. Red velvet. He even knew it was the kind they had at their wedding."

A chorus of "Awwww's" were released from the nearly swooning girls.

"How freaking charming," Santana snickered in passing as she came to stop next to Brittany.

Quinn's eyes narrowed, but she resisted the urge to reply. "We gave his little sister the task of getting their mom out of the house for a little bit, but I think she was more excited that she got to take Artie's phone with her than anything else." Her smile widened at the not too distant memory of Abbey excitedly clutching her little purse.

"So did she like it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Quinn giggled incredulously. "She was practically bawling when they got back and she saw we'd cooked dinner and decorated, straightened up the house. She said it was the best birthday present ever."

"Oh my God Quinn...he sounds like the best boyfriend ever."

She beamed, "He is...so sweet and thoughtful..."

"Sounds like a Momma's boy to me," Santana interjected, a devilish smirk playing at her lips.

"There's nothing wrong with having a strong healthy relationship with your parents," Quinn snapped defensively.

"And what would you know about that little orphan Annie?" Santana countered saucily, hand planted firmly on jutted hip.

Quinn was just about to initiate round two with her ex-best friend, when she spied Artie wheeling down the hall toward her. Shouldering her way past the Latina, she forced a smile at him. "Were your ears burning?"

Artie lifted his right hand to the side of his head and grinned, "Are they supposed to be?"

Quinn's smile widened as she playfully shrugged her shoulders. "Isn't that what happens when your being talked about?"

"Only the bad stuff" he replied with mock trepidation. "It was all good, right?"

"Of course," Quinn giggled in flirtatious assurance, "The girls and I were just discussing..."

"Sam's amazing abs," Brittany cut in innocently.

From the corner of her eye, Quinn saw Artie's smile falter. "That's how we got started...," she commented to try to initiate damage control, but quickly realized she was only making things worse.

Then Brittany had to go and add this little tidbit, "Mike Chang's are pretty awesome too." She paused contemplatively for a moment, before breaking out into a wide smile. "Puck's really hot naked too...right Quinn?"

Blushing blood red instantly, Quinn lowered her head mortified, "Oh my God Britt..."

"I don't know about Finn though," the doltish blond continued, "Who's got better abs Q...Puck, Finn...or Artie?"

The disheartening way Artie glanced down at his midsection wasn't lost on her and Quinn prayed that either the floor would swallow her whole, or something would give her courage to slap the satisfied smirk right off of Santana's face. "We'll see you downstairs," she croaked out instead and gently ushered Artie to start moving with the brush of her hand across his shoulder.

"Sorry about that," she apologized once they'd rounded the corner and she found her voice again.

Artie shrugged indifferently as he coasted slowly. "Typical Brittany, right?" he retorted teasingly, though his eyes harbored another emotion entirely.

Quinn nodded silently. "Don't we need to stop at you're locker first to get your lunch?" she asked when she noticed they were coming up to the elevator.

"Already picked it up," he replied, casually motioning to his backpack as he began digging into his pocket for the key. "Where's yours?"

"I forgot to make one," Quinn answered, heaving a dramatic sigh, "again." She managed a smile before adding, "I'll just grab a salad from the cafeteria...it's probably the only thing safe enough to eat since Coach Sylvester regulates that area. She'd never intentionally try to make her Cheerios sick."

"I wouldn't put anything past that woman," Artie quipped and instantly lightened the mood.

Quinn smiled and leaned down to kiss those lips she'd been craving since third period, but was interrupted by the ping of the elevator.

Figures.

Artie was starving, but followed Quinn though the maze of lunch lines instead of finding a table...he didn't want to start eating without her. Maybe he should have...

"Hey Quinn."

Stopping at the sound of her name, the pair turned to find a section filled with a sea of McKinley high spirit wear. "Hi Ashley," she returned pleasantly just as the pretty brunette moved down one seat to presumably give them somewhere to sit. Quinn flashed an appreciative smile and was just about to slip into the chair when another voice rang out.

"Those seats are taken."

Quinn glanced up just in time to catch a glimpse of the menacing glare Santana had given the other Cheerio. "That's okay, we only need one," Quinn countered, eying another vacant chair across the table, but cringed internally at how...not quite right that sounded. She was almost relieved that Artie was behind her, so she wouldn't have to see if he was upset by that remark.

"They're all taken," Santana sneered, unrelenting.

"Fine," Quinn murmured under her breath as she picked up her tray. "I'll see you later Ashley," she added kindly before turning on her heel. Artie was quick to follow but a slippery substance under his left wheel, hindered his escape.

"Why can't Quinn sit with us?" he heard a sad sounding Brittany ask from two tables behind. "She's one of us."

"No she's not," was Santana's seething reply, "Not while she's dating that loser."

Freeing himself from the contents of the carelessly discarded peach cup just as Quinn was glancing over her shoulder to see why he wasn't right behind her anymore, Artie was starting to wonder if this day could get any worse.

...

**_ANx2...My apologies for taking so long to update are starting starting to sound redundant...but this time the excuse was mostly legitimate...being sick for about a week wiped out both my energy and inspiration...Megan can attest to that...we had the same symptoms but live 2000 miles apart...and in different countries:P_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**An authors note...While I am so honored to have such wonderful and loyal readers out there, I feel I must apologize for any confusion. The storyline we are in now is a slow moving arc that enhances the plot, and for those of you who are having trouble following, the plot is Artie and Quinn's relationship...always has been, always will be. Showing their interactions with one another as well as those around them, in many different situations ...ie. school life, home life, the Abrams, Artie's extended family, the Farays , the Puckermans, Caroline...are all very vital pieces to the story as a whole. I am no where near done with this and will be taking it up to graduation and possibly beyond. I hope that all of you stick with me through the rest, but understand if you choose not to. A long, very involved story is not everyone's cup of tea and I respect that...I just ask that you give me the same respect in return.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

"Hi Andy."

Before he even lifted his head, he recognized who the owner of that familiar flowing voice was. "Oh hey Quinn," Andy returned casually and flashed a grin at the group of Cheerios, lead by their captain, as they passed by the small cluster of junior varsity football players he was standing with.

"Dude...you know her?" a stocky tackle named Vince asked.

"Yeah, she's his br..."

"She's like my sister," Andy blurted, cutting Harry off before he could finish his sentence. Then after quickly shooting his best friend a warning glare, he added, "She lives with my family."

"Lucky," one of the other boys muttered under his breath.

It was followed by a skeptical "No way" from one of the other . To which Andy responded with a simple nod and boastful smirk.

"Yeah, totally lucky," Vince gasped incredulously, "she's only like the hottest girl at this school."

"And a Senior." All eyes drifted toward the smallest guy in the huddle, second string kicker if Andy remembered correctly, boldly pointing that out.

"Wait, doesn't she have a kid?," Lucky boy threw out questioningly.

"What does that have to do with being hot?," Vince countered in askance.

The smaller boy shrugged then sheepishly lowered his head, "Just saying."

"My sister said she was dating that guy in the wheelchair, I think he's a senior like her," number three blurted out, "I wonder if he's the father."

Vince looked over at his friend like he had grown a third eye, or possibly morphed into some gossipy chick. "Seriously Dude? Guys like that can't have kids," he rasped incredulously. "My neighbor has this uncle who was a cop and got put in a wheelchair after getting shot and they had to adopt their kids. I don't think guys like that can even get it up."

Andy did his best to stop the heat of embarrassment that was creeping up his neck, from reaching his face. "Noah Puckerman's the father."

At the utterance of _that_ name, the three boys Andy and Harry were talking to, froze.

"And I suppose you're gonna tell us you know him to," Vince challenged, smirking.

"Yeah, we're pretty tight," Andy returned with an arrogant indifference, then boldly took a step closer to Vince and held his gaze. "Spent most of the weekend with him, watching college ball at my place...Sunday we just ran some plays."

"You're full of shit."

"Wanna bet?" Speak of the devil. Andy's smirk widened...dispelling that assumption wasn't going to be as hard as he thought. "Puckerman," he greeted casually, nodding his head in the direction of the approaching idol, and secretly praying he'd get some sort of positive response. Noah Puckerman wasn't exactly known for being polite.

Noah grinned back and nodded similarly. "W'sup Abrams." Andy's gaze shifted to catch the reactions of the others, but before he could revel in their slack jaws and bulging eyes, Puck's voice rang out again. "We can go over those moves I showed you the other day, later after practice...It's Wednesday, I'm your ride home, right?

Andy played down his enthusiasm with an indifferent shrug and small nod. "Yeah...cool."

"Cool," Puck parroted as he glided past, leaving the majority gaping in his wake.

"Dude...seriously?" 'lucky' gasped in awe at Andy. "That was _thee_ Noah Puckerman."

'Number three' nodded in agreement. "Maybe we can come over and hang out with you guys sometime?" he suggested, glancing between Andy and Harry.

"In your dreams," Andy scoffed back dismissively, even though he couldn't help the feeling of satisfaction that came along with the idea of possibly hanging out with the most popular guys on his team, outside of school...just definitely_ not_ at his house.

The bell rang, announcing the start of the school day. Students began dispersing in all directions. Andy gave a parting nod to the three Sophomores, before turning to walk in the opposite direction with Harry. "Man, did you see the look on their faces?" he asked, chuckling.

"Yeah," he answered distractedly, and a beat later asked the question that was playing on his mind. "So um...your brother can't have kids?"

Andy's good mood immediately soured. "What? How the fuck should I know?," he ground out under his breath and quickly scanned the hall to make sure nobody had heard the exchange.

"Jeeze And, I was just wondering," Harry returned defensively. He never really understood Andy's incredibly short fuse when it came to his brother...Harry thought Artie was actually a pretty awesome guy. "You know, if your Mom heard you talk like that..."

"Well she wont, will she?" Andy cut in warningly, "Not unless _someone_ tells her."

It was clear to Harry that his best friend was becoming annoyed with where their conversation was heading, so he let his curiosity slide.

No, Andy Abrams did not want to talk about home or his family...not when he could picture his quick climb up the McKinley high social ladder. Soon he would be the most popular Freshman at the school.

Life couldn't get much better than that.

...

Luckily, it appeared the Wednesday Glee club rehearsal wasn't going to suffer the same fate as Monday's practice, sans Cheerios.

Quinn was happy to find Artie alone at his locker after school. It wasn't that she didn't absolutely love their mutual friends, it was just that their time together was always so limited, and alone time was nearly non existent.

"Just the man I was looking for," Quinn intoned playfully as she came up from behind Artie and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Because no woman can resist the opportunity to get all up on this," he returned with that quick witted, forever playful, slightly ghetto, banter he was finally comfortable enough to use around her.

"Well actually, I was just looking for someone to carry my duffel bag," she countered teasingly, her eyes sparkling with delight, lips pressed firmly against his cheek. They shared a smile and another kiss before the Three Musketeers, as Quinn so affectionately called them, walked over.

"Awwww," Tina drawled out exaggeratedly. "Aren't they so cute."

Mercedes grin widened. "Yeah, like two little bunnies in the spring time."

Kurt followed suit with a smirk of his own. "And you know what they say about bunnies."

Both Artie and Quinn blushed an interesting shade of red at Kurt's lively quip...the not so subtle innuendo, not lost on them either. Rolling her eyes playfully and thanking God the hall was nearly empty, Quinn moved to fall in step with the others when she felt a gentle tug holding her back. It was Artie. "Gimme your bag," he said expectantly.

"Artie, I was joking," she returned, giving his shoulder a slightly dismissive nudge.

"I wasn't," he replied, pulling to a stop and beaming up at her.

Quinn could tell that he was completely serious, but still felt a little reluctant to make him do something that started out as a joke. In the end though, that sweet sincere smile and imploring blue eyes won out and she slipped the strap from her shoulder. Artie pulled the bag onto his lap, bringing Quinn down with it. She instinctively reached out for his shoulders to steady herself, their faces mere inches apart...exactly where he wanted her.

"Thanks," Quinn whispered, sliding her right hand up around the back of his neck, her fingers twining with his hair.

"Any time," he muttered back, just before pressing his soft lips to hers.

"See," Kurt called out pointedly to Mercedes and Tina as he glanced over his shoulder, "Bunnies."

...

"Okay guys, I know we still have a little time, but with our performances at Homecoming and Invitationals right around the corner, I think it would be a good idea to get started on the finale number for Sectionals," Mr. Schuester announced as he walked into the classroom, carrying a stack of papers. "Especially since we really need to focus on our dancing if we're going to beat the strong collective voices of our competition."

Will began passing out the sheet music for the piece to the number he had prepared last night but stopped just short of everyone. Quinn glanced over at Artie with a confused expression on her face and was just about to raise her hand, when Mr. Schuester returned with a packet just for him. "Artie, I'm going to need you on guitar for this one."

Nodding dutifully, Artie took the proffered papers and began looking them over. Quinn's frown deepened, and this time, she did raise her hand. "But Mr. Schue, Artie's my dance partner."

"Not for this number Quinn," Will replied as he turned to face her. "I need him on bass."

Quinn glanced from her teacher, to her boyfriend, and back to the sheet music again. "Can't you just get Martin from the jazz band to play this? He's usually the one to accompany us anyway."

Will shook his head, but lowered his eyes to avoid hers. "No, this piece is a little tricky in some parts, Martin hasn't been playing as long as Artie..."

"But if he's given enough time to practice..."

"He still won't be as good as Artie is," Mr. Schue was quick to cut in.

It was obvious from the deep scowl she was wearing that Quinn was not pleased. She turned her head to face Artie at the same time he brought his hand up to pat her arm. "It's okay," he reassured her. But it wasn't.

"No," Quinn mumbled as she rose from her seat and stalked over to the piano.

"Mr. Schuester, I don't think this is fair."

At the barely audible whisper behind him, Will lifted his head from the attendance sheet he was marking on, and let out a slightly frustrated sigh. "Quinn, we've already been over this...I need Artie to play..."

"No, you need to find something for Artie to do while we're dancing," she interjected softly, and by the brief flicker of guilt that crossed Mr. Schue's features, knew she wasn't that far off from the truth. "You have thirteen members now, which means there can only be six pairs...Artie's the weakest link...well not if you take into consideration Finn's lack of dancing skills and Mike's inability to carry a note..."

Her words died in the air when she realized nothing she was going to say would make him change his mind. Will flashed her an apologetic grimace, "I'm sorry Quinn."

Quinn simply shook her head dismissively and swallowed down the emotion building in her throat before walking back to her seat where Artie was waiting with a concerned look on face. He was just about to ask her if she was okay, when Mr. Schuester announced that it was time to pair up.

"...and the pair that wins the duet competition will get the chance to sing lead at Regionals."

"Mr. Schuester," Rachel called out, smug grin pulled against her lips, "I'm afraid that Finn and I have the unfair advantage in this type of competition..."

"Which is why I've already picked the partners," Will finished for her.

Rachel turned a ghastly shade of green, like she was about to be sick. "Bu...but..."

"Okay, our first pair is Puck and Mercedes." The diva rolled her eyes playfully while the jock waggled his brow. "Finn and Tina." Curious glances exchanged, followed by satisfactory smiles...from everyone but Rachel. "Mike and Santana." An indifferent shrug from her, a fearful look from him. "Kurt and Brittany." Matching puzzled expressions. "Sam and Quinn." He gave a celebratory fist pump, she defiantly crossed her arms over her chest, while Artie's stomach churned nervously. "That just leaves..."

"Mr. Schuester...as much as I like Matt, I really don't think our voices will compliment..."

"Rachel," he cut her off politely and plastered on a smile. "That is exactly why I chose these pairs. What's the fun of a competition if it's not challenging?"

And just she was just about to give her answer to that rhetorical question, Will stepped out of earshot. "Hey Artie, I know it's almost time for you to leave...which is why I decided to do this today...," he stated, pausing only momentarily when he noticed the boy was already packing up his things. "We're probably just going to block positions and run through some of the choreography with the piano. If you can be ready for next time, I think we could incorporate the bass with some of the vocals."

Artie ginned up at him and gave a little nod, "Sure thing Mr. Schue."

Will flashed him a smile before turning back to the group. "Okay guys, let's start."

"Wait, Artie," Quinn called and rushed out into the hall after him after exchanging only a quick glance as he passed by. Artie pulled his chair to a stop and pivoted to face her. "Why didn't you fight it?"

He looked up at her quizzically. "Fight what?"

"Mr. Schuester's decision," she replied bluntly.

Artie shrugged indifferently. "What was I supposed to do Quinn? He'd already made up his mind..."

"Why do you always give in so easily?"

"What are you talking about, giving in?" he retorted incredulously, pausing only a second to drop his hands to his knees. "It's not like it wasn't the obvious route to go when trying to coordinate an epic dance number with thirteen students and one wheelchair." Quinn lowered her gaze to the floor, stung. "Look Quinn, I'm sorry," Artie offered sincerely, after another brief hesitation to internally chastise himself for snapping at her, "but I...I really gotta go."

Nodding, Quinn leaned over to give him a parting kiss. "Have a good session," she offered, her breath soft, her words genuine, and her embrace lingering just a little longer than actually necessary.

A silent nod of acknowledgment from him, and Quinn was forced to watch him retreat down the hall. Three small words that would have expressed what she suspected she was starting to feel, but that he would have probably just misinterpreted for pity...left unspoken.

...

**_ANx2...yet another angst building chapter:) A HUGE thanks to Megan(aka Dryadspeaks) for letting me borrow her Martin(or at least his name) for this chapter. Thanks for reading!  
_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**An authors note...**__**Words cannot express how much I appreciate your support, but I will try to find some. You guys amaze me more with each and every chapter, it truly is humbling. Thank you so very much. Continuing on with the story now, there are quite a few developments in this chapter as well as some additional borrowing from RM & Co. I already know Megan will hate me for this chapter, but please don't be too quick to judge...there is SO much more to come. Enjoy and as stated above, feedback is always appreciated:)  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The short ride from the house to the grocery store seemed to be just what the unusually fussy Caroline needed to calm down. Pulling into the parking lot, Alicia smiled to herself when she heard the baby happily babbling in the back seat. "Well hello there. I'm happy to see you too," she cooed, lifting the infant carrier out of the base secured in car. "I see that little catnap did you wonders."

At that, Caroline gave her Godmother a gummy grin and let out a hearty giggle. "You ready to replace some of the food those big kids keep eating on us?" Alicia continued to carry on a conversation with the infant even though it was clear that Caroline was much more interested in chewing on her fist, than anything Alicia was saying.

"Now we need some bananas and grapes," the seasoned mom spoke casually as she pushed the shopping cart around the produce section. She knew how important verbal stimulation was to a young baby's development...Artie was practically speaking in complete sentences before he even took his first steps...which is why Alicia was constantly talking and singing to the Caroline, much like she did with her own children. "And Abbey wanted apples."

"Alicia?"

At the sound of her name being called, Alicia turned and smiled at the familiar face behind her. "Karen, hi, how are you?" she asked her former co-worker. "It's been a long time hasn't it?"

"A little over two years now," the younger woman replied, smiling down at the grinning toddler sitting in the seat of her own shopping cart. "What a surprise though...how old is your little one?"

Momentarily taken aback by the question, Alicia let out a small chuckle. "Oh no, she not_ actually_ mine..."

"You can't possibly be a Grandmother yet?" Karen queried skeptically, there was maybe five years separating the women, and she knew her former bosses children were still quite young.

"Logistically speaking I suppose I could be...Artie _is _seventeen now, but in this case it's more by proxy," Alicia half joked, half revealed. "She's his girlfriends baby..."

"Oh...right, how foolish of me to think she was his..." Her words trailed off and she blushed, though out of embarrassment for what she'd said or what she may have been implying, wasn't clear.

That remark took her by such surprise, all Alicia could manage for a response was a slightly wistful gaze in Caroline's direction and a gentle shake of the head. "No, she's not his, but they do both live with us. Artie and I are her Godparents." It sounded good in her head, but didn't at all refute the assumption that...

"How sweet," Karen quickly threw out the compliment to counterbalance the awkwardness that was slowly settling around them. She looked as though she wanted to add to that thought when Caroline let out an impatient squawk of protest.

"And a bit sassy," Alicia quipped playfully, somewhat relieved for the distraction, even though they hadn't had the chance to properly catch up.

Karen gave and nod of understanding and smiled, a little less tensely this time. "Well, I'll let you two get your shopping done. It was nice seeing you Alicia."

"Nice seeing you too," Alicia called out in parting, then thankfully turned her attention elsewhere. "What's wrong baby girl?" Caroline responded by grunting and shifting against the restraints of her seat. Alicia couldn't help but force a smile. "I know Sweetie," she sighed and offered the pacifier back to Caroline before picking up her pace, "I don't feel much like shopping anymore, either."

_..._

Artie tried to concentrate on his calculus homework_, _but it was futile...the library was, ironically, too quiet. Instead, he stuck his earphones in his ears, turned on his I-pod and began drumming his fingers against the table in time with the beat. Music always made him feel better and with the first few weeks of school starting out as crappy as they had, he needed all the help he could get.

He didn't remember how it happened, only that a McFly song was playing_, _and suddenly his alarm clock was buzzing...only it wasn't his alarm clock, it was his phone vibrating against the wheel guard of his chair. It had slipped between that and the seat cushion, but by the time he was awake enough to realize that and retrieve it, the call was lost.

_Two missed calls  
Mom's cell_

"Crap," he muttered under his breath as he scrubbed his hands over his weary face. He hadn't been sleeping well at night, or more precisely, was having trouble falling asleep...and when you had to start your day at 6am, going to bed after two wasn't exactly the conducive for a good nights rest.

He was just about to call back when it buzzed again, this time it was a text message. Artie noticed he had already missed three from her, in a span of just twenty minutes. Something had to be wrong...and opening the latest message from his mother, only confirmed that.

...

Pulse racing, palms burning under his gloves, Artie pushed himself down the hall as fast as he could. He slowed down only to avoid tipping over while making the turn that led him to a shortcut he knew would get him to Quinn faster than if he took the designated exit.

Coming out of the equipment room with the seven underclassmen, he and three of the varsity players were designated to mentor, Dave Karofsky smiled to himself when he saw the wheelchair kid round the corner down the opposite end of the corridor. "We can have some fun with this one," he snickered under his breath as he lead the pack away from the door they were about to exit through. "Watch and learn boys."

"Hey Gimp, you get lost?" Karofsky called out, just as the large equipment bag he was carrying on his shoulder, made contact with the right side of Artie's face. The force of the blow nearly toppled him over, but he somehow managed to keep himself and his chair upright and balanced through the blinding pain flaring out across his cheek and the slight ringing in his ears.

The younger players stood silently, possibly stunned, while the older boys chuckled in unison with their ring leader. "Oops...sorry," Dave mocked condescendingly, "don't usually get people_ like you_ around here."

"Yeah, these halls are for _athletes only_," Karofsky's partner in crime, Azimio Adams, bellowed incredulously. "Wadda_ you_ doin' here?"

Artie tried to send a pointed glare their way, but with one eye screwed shut and throbbing and the other nearly blind without lenses, it came across as a painful wince. "I need to talk to my girlfriend and she on the field right now, practicing."

"Yeah, I heard that rumor goin' around," Karofsky sneered. "Seems like such a waste though...a hot girl like Fabray dating a loser like you when she could have her pick of any guy. Girl like that deserves a _whole_ man..."

No matter how much it stung, Artie did his best to ignore those remarks, and not respond to them at all. He didn't want to encourage these assholes any further...he just wanted to get the hell out of there and find Quinn, but first he needed to find his...

"Loose something Cripple?" Azimio cut in mockingly when he noticed Artie purposefully scanning the floor.

Artie squinted harder as he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else, "...my glasses..."

"Oh these?" Karofsky snickered, kicking the surprisingly intact pair, over to Artie.

Without looking too relieved, or showing his tormentors any gratitude whatsoever, Artie leaned forward to retrieve the glasses that had come to rest near his feet.

But the jocks were far from done with him.

In a split second, Artie felt himself being spun slightly to the left, then unceremoniously dumped to the ground. He was able to pick his head up just far enough to see one of the varsity players, probably the one who dumped him, send his chair careening down the opposite end of the hallway. A chorus of taunting laughter immediately echoed through the corridor.

Artie's cheeks burned with embarrassment, his injured side feeling like it was on fire, but it wasn't all due to his current predicament. Steeling himself, he pushed up onto his elbows, flashing only the briefest of glances up at the figure he knew was his brother, before pressing one palm to the floor, while the other hand reached for his glasses.

The chuckles died down almost immediately. Artie was certain everyone standing there, with the exception of his brother of course, had no idea he had more to deal with than just legs that don't work. That his abs and lower back muscles were affected to. That without his chair, sitting or just keeping his balance was a huge effort. And that there were about another dozen other issues he was forced to contend with.

Seeing Artie sprawled out on the floor didn't seem so funny anymore, neither did the realization that he was going to have to drag himself down the hall to reach his chair if nobody went to retrieve it for him. But nobody did. With the expectation that everyone would follow, Karofsky and Azimio simply smirked satisfactorily, and walked away.

Harry hesitated though. "Dude," he called imploringly out to Andy.

Glancing over his shoulder, the younger Abrams eyes darted almost conflictingly between his teammates, his best friend and his brother until Karofsky growled at them, "Freshmeats...let's go."

"C'mon man," Andy conceded, breaking out into a jog behind the others, "we're gonna be late for practice."

Harry only managed two steps before glancing guiltily back at Artie. A gesture that was returned with an appreciative nod and eyes assuring him it was okay to go...which he did, albeit reluctantly.

Once alone, Artie looked behind him to find his chair was only about fifteen feet away. It might as well have been fifteen miles though...there was no way he'd have enough time to get to it _and_ Quinn...not when he was needed elsewhere.

...

"Alicia, please sit down and relax," Art pleaded with his pacing wife.

"I don't know what's worse...," she returned just as desperately, "...what she said, or how it made me feel."

He flashed her a sympathetic smile, "Alicia?"

"Seriously Art," she replied softly, letting out a slightly frustrated sigh with her words, "what mother wishes fatherhood on her seventeen year old son?"

Art stood up, walked over, and gently put his arm around her shoulder. "Babe, it's not like you're wishing this on him now, just hoping it'll be a reality in his future."

She knew he was right, but a part of her still...

Just then, the garage entry door slammed shut and into the kitchen flew a breathless Quinn with an equally winded Andy following close behind. "How is she?" she pleaded, practically throwing herself at the embracing pair.

"She's fine Honey," Alicia chuckled assuredly as she moved to comfort the distraught mother. "Just a slight ear infection like I told you, nothing to worry about. Perfectly common in teething babies. Artie had them all the time when he was an infant, I think every time he cut a tooth, he was at the doctor." Quinn tried to force a smile, but all she could manage was a guilt-ridden grimace and a small nod. Alicia took hold of her hand and squeezed it. "He's got her right now, I think she's sleeping."

Upon hearing that, Quinn's face crumbled in relief and she began to sob. Alicia wrapped an arm around her shoulder, guiding her out of the kitchen and into the family room.

Art did the same with Andy. "How was practice today Champ?"

"Fine," the boy answered dismissively.

"Anything interesting happen?"

"No...why?" Andy countered, becoming increasingly leery at the line of questioning.

Art shrugged casually. "Just wondering what the coach had to say...you starting tomorrow?"

"Oh that...um, yeah...I am."

"That's great son," Art beamed as he clapped his boy on the shoulder. "We're so proud of you."

Andy grinned back, but it soon faltered when he noticed where they were headed.

"Hey Quinn," Abbey whispered, smiling as she glanced over at the occupants of couch she was sitting in front of. "They're both sleeping."

"I see that," the blond giggled softly at first, but almost broke down at the precious sight of seeing her sick daughter nestled contently on Artie's chest.

"I'm not asleep," he mumbled groggily as he shifted his head, the only body part he dared move for fear of waking Caroline, away from the cushion it was resting against.

"Oh my God Artie...what the heck happened to you?" Quinn gasped when she saw the angry red abrasion across his swollen cheek.

"Mom asked him the same thing when she first saw it," Abbey supplied with a giggle of amusement, "but she used the H-word that wasn't heck and made Artie see Dr. Scott."

"He checked us both out," Artie grumbled, reddening from the embarrassment of having to see a pediatrician, even though the family physician was _technically,_ still his doctor too. Quinn's expression quickly turn from curious to concerned. "It's nothing really...just got in the way of Karofsky and his equipment bag," he answered her previous question with a dismissive shrug. The shame was still there, but he did his best to block it out. "Does it look as bad as it feels?"

"It's kinda hot actually," Quinn returned playfully, and gave a shy grin. "You're gonna have a black eye though," she added, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss just below his battered cheekbone, before planting one atop her slumbering daughters head. Taking a seat on the sliver of cushion next to Artie's hip, Quinn glanced over her shoulder to make sure Art and Alicia were still conversing at the edge of the room before asking quietly, "He didn't do anything else to you, did he?"

Artie smiled at her concern and shook his head, though his gaze briefly skimmed over his brother before the words left his mouth. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

Quinn's smile faltered and her expression turned to a mixture of sympathy and guilt, a reaction that bothered Artie a lot. "Glasses survived, a little scratched and crooked, but still functional," he quipped, trying to lighten the mood with a little humor...anything to get her to stop looking at him that way. But her response made him think it wasn't all directed toward him.

Cupping the uninjured side of his face with her right hand, Quinn brought up her left to gently caress Caroline's back. "I'm glad you were here for her," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly from emotion as her thumb brushed over his cheek.

Artie gave a nod and the widest smile he could manage, before promising..."Always."

...

**_ANx2...Okay, I know that some of the parts of the opening scene might seem a little out of place and random right now, but as we move along, it will make more sense. Also, the ending wasn't exactly what I wanted, but it works...as long as it shows how devoted Artie is to Quinn and Caroline and their relationship, then I've done my job. Thank you so much for reading._**

**_Small edit on 4/6/11  
_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**An authors note...**__**Thanks to those of you who favorited, alerted or left an absolutely amazing review. I love reading all of your wonderful comments(and rants:) as well as the reactions, views and theories you might have. They make me so happy. It's my goal to individually respond to each and every one of you some day...hopefully soon. **_

_**Continuing on with the borrowing of certain season two story lines/scenes in this chapter, but I'm afraid poor Artie doesn't fare much better here either. I forgot to post a language warning for some of the more vulgar and derogatory dialogue in the previous chapter, so I am doing it now(for this one as well). I in no way, shape or form, use these words/terms or approve of their usage. I find them offensive, but decided to add them in order too give an authentic voice to those particular characters.**_

_**Happy reading!  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

It came out of no where, which is how it usually happened...a poor unsuspecting Glee club member slushied on their way to class. They figured it would be safer in numbers, so they walked in groups. None of them figured one would be singled out over the others. And no one thought it could ever happen to _her._

Again.

"Who did this to you Quinn?" Mr. Schuester asked, his tone thick with anger.

Karofsky and his goons," she replied with surprising casualness as she took the large towel being offered to her. "Thanks Brit."

Artie sat next to her, helpless to do anything but listen to her explanation. "We were just walking to class together..."

"Who's we?" Will cut in askance.

"Me, Mercedes and Tina," Quinn replied.

"And they only got you?" Finn queried incredulously. "No offense guys," he amended quickly when he noticed the other two girls glaring at him.

Quinn gave a dismissive shrug and continued to pat off her sticky face. "Guess the one in the middle is the easiest to get," she quipped a beat later, though no one found it amusing...well, maybe Santana did.

"You know, coach Sylvester is gonna make you pay for that uniform if they can't get the stains out," the Cheerio couldn't help but throw in her random two cents.

"Well, at least they were courteous enough to throw red," she countered playfully, hoping her indifference would wipe that satisfied smirk right off of the Latina's face.

It did.

Now it was Quinn's turn to smirk with satisfaction.

"I can take care of them if you want," Puck offered eagerly.

"And what Noah...risk suspension, or worse, jail time?" Quinn returned pointedly, rolling her eyes. "What would Caroline and I do then?"

It was obvious she meant those words to be a warning to Puck, advising against doing something stupid, but to Artie it felt like a blow to the gut.

"It's just so odd though," Rachel finally piped in, albeit cautiously and somewhat bewildered, "we've been in school almost a month now and out of all of us Glee club members, Karofsky decides to slushy_ you_?"

Everyone seemed to be asking themselves that same question, but only Brittany had one of her own, "Oh my God Quinn, are you pregnant again?"

"No Brit I'm not," Quinn assured her scandalized friend with a soft giggle. "I guess someone had to be first, and it just happened to be me."

Artie avoided eye contact with Quinn, scanning the rest of the room instead. It wasn't illogical to assume that Karofsky and Co. had targeted her because she was dating him. In fact, it made perfect sense. Everyone in Glee club was either a football player...even Kurt was still on the team as the third string kicker...or dating one.

Except Quinn.

"Maybe we should go see principal Figgins?"

"Be seriously Artie," Quinn scoffed incredulously, though her gaze was gentle as she stared at her boyfriend. "What is _he_ going to do about it?"

Artie lowered his head dejectedly. She was right, everyone knew that Diane Karofsky was a vocal school board member as well as treasurer of the McKinley high booster club, which gave her son some sort of diplomatic immunity against being punished for what most thought of as harmless pranks, or "accidents". Like anyone would string themselves up a flagpole by their underpants, or willingly jump into a dumpster full of garbage.

"I don't know, maybe he could..."

"Relax Professor X...we'll watch her back for you," Puck interjected, motioning between himself and the other football players.

Not that he wasn't grateful for the offer from his girlfriends baby's father, but it was his responsibility to keep Quinn safe. Unfortunately, the suggestion that implied his disability made him less than capable of doing that, wasn't exactly a confidence booster...and having his friends converge around them to discuss just how they planned on getting back at Karofsky, made him doubt himself even more.

But having the whole night to toss and turn while thinking about it, changed his mind.

...

"Stay away from my girlfriend."

A bit taken aback by the voice calling out to him, Dave Karofsky slammed his locker shut and swiftly turned around, smirking as he saw wheelchair nerd pulling up to him. "You say something to me Crip?"

"Yeah. I said stay away from my girlfriend," Artie repeated, his voice just as strong and full of conviction as it was the first time. If there was one thing Artie Abrams didn't need anyone's help with, it was opening his mouth and speaking his mind.

Karofsky's grin widened in amusement, "Or you'll what?"

Artie hadn't exactly thought that through, but he wasn't about to let anyone or anything intimidate him, especially not this neanderthal, and he wasn't about to back down. "Just back off."

That sharp warning aroused some attention in the crowded hallway, and predictably, Azimio and his posse materialized behind Karofsky, who took a purposeful step forward. "Or...you'll...what?"

Artie tipped his head back to maintain eye contact with the large body looming over him. He didn't want to have to do it, and it went against every principle he had, but there was no other way to get his point across. Tugging his left wheel forward, just a few inches until he felt resistance, Artie was able to trap Karofsky's shoe under the rubber without actually hurting him...yet.

"Leave the Glee club alone and you won't have to find out," Artie stated calmly, trying not to show any amusement at the way Karofsky was subtly trying to free his wedged shoe out from under his wheel.

"Yeah, and you and what army are gonna make us do that?" Azimio asked in challenge.

"You seem to forget that nearly half of_ your_ football team is in _my_ Glee club," Artie returned with a smirk.

"You mean Hudson and Puckerman?" Strando scoffed, causing the rest of the bunch to chuckle indignantly.

"And Chang, Rutherford, Evans and Hummel," Artie retorted pointedly. Okay, so it was his six to Karofsky's nine but...

"What's fag-boy gonna do...prance on our faces?" Karofsky taunted, eliciting more than just chuckles from his gang of bullies and a response in Artie that made him want to break every single one of the jocks toes.

"Like I said," Artie continued, coolly and casually as he straightened up and leaned forward, getting as much into Karofsky's face as he could...the slight movement putting a painful pressure on the foot underneath him, "leave us alone and you won't have to find out."

Caught off guard by the discomfort that hampered his balance, Karofsky lurched forward, eyes burning. "You messed with the wrong guy Loser," he threatened under his breath.

"And you messed with the wrong girl," Artie shot back, pulling backward and pivoting with a flourish before heading down the opposite end of the hall.

...

Retaliation didn't take long, and Artie was expecting it, almost welcoming it...as long as it meant the rest of the Glee club, especially Quinn, would be left alone.

What he didn't expect was for it to come that same day, by the same group of jocks, each armed with cups of ice cold slushy in their hands. But maybe he should have.

They cornered him in the still empty hallway just as he was leaving his last period class. "So, I was going through my bucket list...seems you're the only Glee loser I haven't slushied yet," Azimio announced his intent...even if it was already painfully obvious.

"Damn near broke his heart," Karofsky whined, mockingly sympathetic.

For a split second, Artie considered using the disability card as a way to get out of this, but ultimately decided against it. He was sick and tired of people emphasizing his disability in a negative way, assuming he was less of a person because of it. He wasn't about to give these morons the satisfaction of confirming that...especially because it appeared that's what they were looking for.

"And we couldn't let that happen," Strando concurred, cackling along with the others.

Artie simply held Karofsky's gaze, since he knew this had to be the ringleaders idea, and steeled himself, waiting for the onslaught to begin.

"Equal opportunity for all I say," Azimio snickered, right before tossing the first cup.

When it was all over, Artie carefully opened his sticky eyes to find he was alone amidst a huge puddle of cherry syrup and a pile of discarded cups. The bell rang, and shaking the last bits of ice from his hair, he took off for his locker.

"Oh my God, Artie," Tina's concerned voice rang out as soon as her friend entered the choir room.

At once, all eyes were upon him. "Damn boy, what the hell happened to you?," Mercedes bellowed incredulously.

"I got slushied, what does it look like?," he retorted, bitingly.

"It looks like they dumped the whole freaking machine on you Dude," Puck interjected playfully, though he looked less than amused by the situation.

"There were nine of them...each one had two..."

"There you...Oh God...what...?"

The sputtering plea came from behind, but before he could respond two slender arms were snaking around his neck. "I'm fine Quinn," he assured her as she sank down to squat beside him.

"You better watch that uniform...you ruin the loaner and Coach'll make you pay double to get it cleaned," Santana called out pointedly on the way to her seat. But Quinn didn't care, she just needed to be close to Artie.

"What in the world...," Will trailed off, entering the room with his eyes still trained on the smeared red droplets and tire tracks leading from down the hall to the spreading puddle and..."Artie?"

"He got slushied Mr. Schue," Mercedes supplied, "really bad."

"I can see that," Will muttered.

"Either Karofsky and his goons are coming after us one at a time," Kurt reasoned casually, "or they were staging a remake of the prom scene from Carrie."

Finn took one look at his drenched and shivering friend and leaped from his seat. "That's it, this ends here," he shouted, "First Quinn and now Artie..."

"What are you going to do?" Rachel inquired desperately.

"We're going to teach them a lesson," he replied while motioning for his teammates to follow.

"You boys will do nothing of the sort," Will warned, letting out a heavy sigh as he scrubbed his hand over his face. "I'm going to call an emergency meeting with Coach Beiste and Principal Figgins in the morning..."

"Mr. Schuester?" Quinn cut in, a little more anxiously than she'd intended. "I think I should get Artie to the office to see if the nurse is still here."

"No Quinn really, I'm okay," Artie scoffed dismissively, even though he was obviously beginning to tremble.

She leaned forward and proceeded in a hushed tone, "It's not good for you to be sitting in that cold liquid or wet clothes..."

Will nodded, "I think she's right Artie..."

"I said I'm fine," he snapped out of frustration, and uncharacteristically harsh, but immediately regretted his outburst...especially after seeing the hurt look in Quinn's eyes. "I'm sorry...it's just...really, I'm okay," Artie stuttered apologetically to the both of them, "I think I just need to change out of these clothes."

Will nodded in agreement. "Okay, why don't one of you guys escort Artie down to the nurses office or locker rooms..."

"That's okay Mr. Schue," Artie balked in protest, "I can manage just fine on my own."

"I'm sure you can Artie," Will managed to assuage his student without sounding too condescending, "but I think it would be better if someone went with you. That way, if Karofsky approaches you or you need..."

Artie shifted uncomfortably, and snapped again, "Really Mr. Schuester, I don't need a bodyguard...I can take care of myself..."

"Can it Wheels," Puck interjected pointedly as he made his way down the risers, "or I'll take you out onto the field and hose you off myself." A few chuckles escaped the mouths of those who found that particular statement somewhat suggestive...a response to which Noah sent a sweeping death glare over the entire classroom. "Me and Finn'll go with you, that way if those assholes give you any more trouble, one of can stay behind and the other can go for help."

Artie really wanted to protest, but between the encouraging expressions from his classmates and the imploring look Quinn was giving him, it was clear he was outnumbered...and he really needed to get out of those saturated pants before his backside became permanently stuck to the seat of his chair.

...

It didn't take long for Artie to appreciate the help... even if it still did bother him that he needed it in the first place. Without Puck, there would have been no one to pick the lock on the nurses office door. And without Finn, there wouldn't have been anyone to clean off his chair while he changed and Noah stood guard...and what's the point of changing your clothes if you're just going to sit on a slushy covered seat again.

"Thanks guys," Artie acknowledged with an appreciative nod and slightly self-conscious smile when he finally exited the office. Changing out of sugary syrup drenched clothes that had already started to dry, took far longer than he would have liked.

"No problem Man," Finn replied, grinning down at him. "Remember, we got your back."

"Now we gotta get to football practice," Puck announced, then turned to Artie, "and you're coming with us."

"What...why?" Artie sputtered in reply.

"Because young Jedi in a wheelchair...that way I can keep and eye on you, Quinn and Karofsky at the same time."

Artie wrinkled his face skeptically to hide his disappointment. He didn't need a babysitter...or someone to watch his girlfriend...

"Puck has a point," Finn chimed in, "the safest place for you right now, is probably out on that field with us."

That statement started the wheels turning in Artie's head_...Yeah_, he thought, breaking out into a wide grin as he quickly followed behind them, _maybe it is_.


	17. Chapter 17

_**An authors note..These repetitive AN's are getting annoying, I'm sure...but honestly, this story wouldn't mean anything if I didn't have such loyal and wonderful readers, supporting me. Thank you so much for all of the amazing reviews you left. I appreciate them, and you, more than you could ever know:) Taking inspiration from the show again, so whatever sounds familiar, probably is.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

"Well, I figure if Kurt's gay and he can do it, then why can't I..."

"Being gay is not a handicap Artie," Finn blew out the words with a chuckle...even he thought that sounded absurd. "How would you even play football in a wheelchair?"

"I've gotta get on that team Finn," Artie returned, just short of a whine.

"Dude, what's this really about?" he asked in return as he closed his locker door and turned toward his friend.

Artie looked down at his lap. "Quinn," he replied softly before glancing back up. "I need to be close to her...in case Karofsky tries something else. I need to be able to protect her, and even you said the best way to do that is to be on the field..."

"Dude, Puck and I told you we had that covered," Finn reassured him dismissively, but that just made Artie angrier.

"Right, because there's nothing more dignified than having your girlfriend's two ex's take care of what should be your responsibility," he snapped back.

It was Finn's turn to hang his head down.

Okay, so maybe that came out a little harsher than was necessary, considering the need to protect Quinn from Karofsky was really only about half of the reason...and especially since Artie wasn't even sure yet if Quinn had been targeted because of him.

Or was it just coincidence?

What Artie was sure about was that he did not like what he had witnessed on that football field the previous day. Not only were the football players flirting, even with those other than their own girlfriends, and ogling the cheerleaders...but they were blatantly objectifying them as well. And Sam was having trouble keeping his eyes from wandering over to where Quinn was practicing...though that could have been because Brittany was there too...

Maybe he was just being paranoid.

"I'm sorry," Artie muttered apologetically to Finn, "I didn't mean it like that."

Finn gave a slightly dismissively nod before clapping his friend on the shoulder, and falling into step directly behind him. " Dude, I'm sympathetic for you, I really am...but I just don't see you on the football team."

Hardly missing a beat, Artie's lips spread into a mischievous little smirk. "Imagine you're pushing me down the field in this big hunk of metal at full speed...," he began to explain, "...the centrifugal force would be too much to stop. I'd be like a Medieval battering ram..."

Finn's clouded expression dissolved into a grin of clarity. "Dude, you'd be like a human cannon ball," he exclaimed excitedly. "That would be awesome!"

"So you'll help me?" Artie asked

"Yeah, sure...," Finn answered skeptically after a moments hesitation, that confused frown returning as soon as he looked down at the handle-less back of Artie's chair, "...only, how am I supposed to push you?"

...

They had fifth period together. It always amazed Artie how Finn Hudson could have so much trouble understanding the English language, but manage to excel in AP Spanish.

"So Dude, tell me more about these tricked out sports chairs," Finn leaned over to whisper, right in the middle of Mr. Schuester's lesson.

Keeping his eyes trained on their teacher, Artie leaned slightly to his left. "There are dozens of different kinds...," he whispered discretely, but with obvious enthusiasm. "...court chairs, racing chairs...," pausing a moment when Will turned around to address the class. Artie leaned a little further on his elbow so he could speak even softer. "Most have similar construction...sturdy frames, angled wheels, contoured seats..."

"Handles?" Finn asked anxiously.

Artie fought back the urge to roll his eyes. "If they're needed," he returned casually. "I figure my biggest necessity would be larger, more durable wheels for better traction on the turf. I've researched a few models..."

"Artie, Finn...care to share whatever you're discussing with the class?"

Both boys looked up in unison, faces bright with embarrassment. "No, not really," Artie muttered dismissively, while Finn was far more forward.

"We were just talking about wheelchairs," he supplied easily, but frowned when he glanced over to find Artie's large blue eyes pleading with him to keep his mouth shut. That's was never an easy thing for the jock to do, and before he could stop himself, the words were already out of his mouth. "For the new dance number in Glee club."

The sigh of relief that Artie blew out was barely detectable over the chuckles that floated throughout the classroom.

"As pleased as that makes me, do you think maybe we can switch the topic of conversation back over to conjugating spanish verb infinitives for the remainder of the period?" Will countered, only sounding slightly annoyed at the interruption.

Artie nodded and Finn grinned, "Sure thing Mr. Schuester...I mean Senor Schuester."

Will's pointed glare dissolved into a smile, and he promptly returned to the lesson.

"Thanks for covering for me," Artie whispered to Finn after a minute or so, but was met with a slightly blank stare. "I just don't want anyone to know yet...you know, in case things don't work out..." he continued cautiously, "especially the Glee club...especially Quinn."

"Totally understand Dude," Finn nodded his head as a playful smirk spread across his lips, "but you don't have to worry, I'm in pretty tight with the coach."

...

Finn softly as he rapped on the slightly ajar office door.

"Whadda you want?" she barked in return.

As Finn slowly pushed the door open and cautiously began to walk in, Artie couldn't help but wonder with amusement what the other boys idea of "tight" really was. "Hey Coach...this is my friend Artie...he'd like to try out for the football team."

Impatient eyes lifting slowly from the playbook she was writing in, Finn straightened up as if he was addressing his drill Sargent. Beiste furrowed her brow after a brief glance between the two before standing up. "You screwin' with me?"

"No, no...absolutely not," Finn sputtered nervously. "See, we figure if I push him down the field fast enough, the centr...centrif..."

"Centrifugal," Artie supplied quickly.

"...centrifugal force..."

"Get outta here Hudson," Beiste interjected.

"What...why?" he gasped incredulously.

Beiste narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together. "You come in here, pushin' a kid in a wheelchair, tryin' to make me look like some kind of monster because I have to tell him he can't play?" she shouted at him.

Finn shook his head adamantly. "No, that's not what's going on here," he confessed sincerely as he looked down and to his left. "Artie?"

"I really want to play Coach," Artie pleaded, trying his best to convince her this was no joke. "We checked the rule book, there's no..."

"Yeah, he be like a human battering ram," Finn cut in, rambling, "...like Braveheart."

"I don't like being screwed with," Beiste warned firmly.

"We're not, I promise," Artie assured her. "If you'd just give me a chance, I could show you what I can do..."

Shannon's expression immediately softened. She was aware of the fact that this far fetched idea would probably not come to fruition the way the boy was planning, but she'd be dammed if she would be the one to crush this dream of his. She'd seen first hand the horrors some of her other players had inflicted on him and it made her sick to her stomach. But to still want to play on a team with a bunch of idiots that slushied, teased and tormented you, showed just how strong of a will he had.

Eying the boys skeptically, Beiste rounded her desk and walked over to the filing cabinet across the room. "First I need you to have these forms filled out and returned to me, asap" she stated authoritatively. "Complete physical and full medical history."

Artie cringed internally...she was going to have a _lot_ of reading to do.

"If you can get signed off by both your doctor and parents...we'll talk specifics."

Artie felt a flicker of elation overpower the sense of dread that had pooled in his stomach as she handed him the papers. Dr. Murphy was pretty cool, he'd have no problem signing off on the form. His mom...yeah, that was going to be tricky. His dad though, would be over the moon...

This wasn't something he just_ wanted_ to do anymore...it was something he _needed_ to do...

...

The appointment was scheduled for 4pm sharp, as a personal matter, the only way he could get in on such short notice...and without his mom finding out.

"Come on back Artie," Dr. Murphy's head nurse Stephanie beckoned from the waiting room door, within minutes of his arrival. She led him to a room at the end of the hall...lucky number seven. "You go ahead and get settled, sit tight, and Dr. M will be with you shortly."

Artie flashed the nurse his trademark grin and nodded appreciatively. "Thanks."

Stephanie easily returned the gesture before pulling the door closed behind her...but before the latch could even catch, there was a soft exchange right outside the room, followed by a light rap on the door. "Hey kiddo, what's up?," the tall, middle-aged doctor called out casually, even before he'd stepped all the way into the room. Without looking up from the chart he was glancing over, or giving the boy any time to answer, Dr. Murphy continued, "Says here, you're not due back for a visit for a few more months...everything alright?"

Artie met the doctors warm but concerned gaze, and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine," he assured him. "I just need to get a sports physical...and have you sign off on this."

The corners of Dr. Murphy's mouth began to twitch upward as he grasped the papers being offered to him. "Finally decided to give basketball a try," he teased playfully. "It's about time...your dad and I have been trying to get you to..."

"It's not for basketball," Artie cut in, a little more anxiously than needed. He hesitated a moment, then took in a shaky breath, "It's for football."

The doctor paused to glance at his patient curiously. "I'm familiar with wheelchair rugby, but that's usually played by guys with injury levels much higher than yours..."

"It's not rugby...or wheelchair anything..." Artie interjected impatiently, "...it's football, real...high school...football."

Lowering his head slightly, Dr. Murphy took a seat on the wheeled stool behind him and began walking it across the room. "I've known you for what...over nine years now? And you've never once shown any interest, whatsoever, in sports of any kind," he pointed out, coming to a stop in front of his patient.

"I like soccer," he muttered to the contrary.

Taking a moment to study the evasive and almost self-conscious statement he was already well aware of, the good doctor couldn't help but ask, "What's going on Artie?"

When the dismissive shrug he gave as an answer didn't suffice, he added, "People change."

Nodding in agreement, Dr. Murphy relaxed his posture and crossed his right leg over his left. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that your brother is on the football team and your girlfriend is a cheerleader."

Damn this guy was good. But Artie was better.

"I just want to play," he returned in complete confidence. "And there's nothing in the rule book that says I can't...I already checked."

Dr. Murphy nodded again. "What about your parents?"

Artie lowered his eyes sheepishly. "They don't know yet," he answered, then tentatively glanced up to the doctor raised a speculative brow, just like he knew he would. "Dad will be okay with it, and so will Mom once you sign off on the medical release...she never questions anything you say or do."

"That wasn't always the case you know," Dr. Murphy quipped playfully, referring to Alicia's understandable reluctance to accept Artie's initial as well as the subsequent prognoses, made by the myriad of specialists who saw him. Eliciting a small grin from his patient, the doctor continued, his voice taking on a more serious, yet completely sincere tone. "Just like you also know that I will always try to help you, in any way possible, to obtain the goals you are striving to reach...but in this case Artie, there is just no way I can."

Artie let out a heavy sigh and hung his head dejectedly. "It's not only the ethical and legal implications associated with me signing off on something like this," Dr. Murphy went on to explain, "there's also a huge moral one."

"You didn't seem to have a hard time with it, when you thought I wanted to play basketball," Artie countered pointedly, even though he was pretty sure this cause was already lost.

"No, and I still don't," Dr. Murphy returned, just as emphatically. "Because that would generally be a lower contact sport, and would be conducted on a level playing field. I can't, in good conscience, send you out onto a football field where a two hundred and fifty pound linebacker would be charging you, Artie."

Artie knew he was right, and felt stupid for even thinking a ridiculous plan like this would work. He barely weighed a hundred and twenty five pounds and probably wouldn't have been allowed to play football even if he was fully capable. Pausing for a moment after the introspection, but without bothering to pick his head up, he asked, "Are you going to call my mom?"

"Not unless you want me to."

Slightly taken aback by the reply, the wringing of his hands ceased. Artie gave a sideways glance. "Thanks," he muttered softly.

Dr. Murphy nodded, watching as his patient began collecting his things. "You know since you're already here, we could go ahead and run the physical in case you change your mind about playing another sport."

Artie looked up and shook his head.

"Or we could just talk."

"No thanks Dr. M," he replied, giving one last sincere smile of appreciation as he headed for the door.

"Hey Artie," Dr. Murphy called out, causing the boy to stop and glance over his shoulder, "I really am sorry."

...

"He's home," Abbey cried out through the empty foyer. "I'm so glad you're not dead ," she added, dramatically throwing herself at Artie before he could even manage to get fully inside the house.

"Thanks Abs," he returned skeptically, but hugged her back.

"Oh thank God," Alicia gasped in relief as she rushed in from the kitchen with Quinn quick at her heels.

"Mom thought you were laying in a ditch somewhere," Abbey supplied generously while settling herself on her brothers lap.

"I did not," Alicia scolded lightly, eyes darting from her precocious daughter to her morose looking son. "Only worried that you might be," she added and his frown intensified. "I may have overreacted a bit, but I got so worried when Maria from the center called and asked if I knew when you wanted to reschedule your physio appointment. You hardly ever miss a session and when you do, I usually know because..."

"I'm sorry," he cut in apologetically, at the same exact time the phone started ringing.

"I'll get it," Quinn offered, but first shifted Caroline to her other hip while simultaneously throwing a curious glance Artie's way.

"I tried to call you, but it went straight to voice mail...," Alicia trailed off, her deep concern showing through.

"Sorry, I had to turn my phone off during the appointment..."

"What appointment?" she gasped out, her concern quickly shifting to panic.

_Shit._

Artie was just about to make something up when he heard Quinn's voice from the other room, "Hey Art...yeah, he just got home...he's okay..."

"Honey, what appointment?" Alicia implored her distracted son.

Letting out a deep sigh, Artie caved under the pressure. "I went to see Dr. Murphy after school..."

"The doctor?"

"Then I went for a little drive afterward to clear my head..."

Their words tumbled over one another.

"Artie, why did you need to go to the doctor?" Alicia pleaded incredulously, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine," he tried to assure her...even went as far as forcing a smile... "I just needed to talk to him about something...,"

"Oh," she blew out an almost relieved breath, until he added 'personal' to the end and his gazed shifted away in avoidance. "Oh!," Alicia exclaimed, eyes fixed where his had landed...directly to where Quinn had disappeared to.

"No Mom...it's not that..."

"It's okay Honey, I understand, " she assured him this time. But she was mistaken, and Artie wasn't sure what was worse...having to confess the truth, or having his mother think he went to see his doctor to have the sex talk.

"Really Mom...it's..."

"You're a mature young man in a serious relationship...," she cut in, pausing only to lower her voice just in case Quinn was near by, while making sure to keep her words short and vague in front of Abbey. "I trust you to make the right decisions and always be careful."

Artie was hoping the floor would open up and swallow him, but his mother just smiled sweetly at him as she called out, "Come on Abbey, you can help me get dinner on the table." Reluctantly, but happy to be of assistance, the little girl slipped down from her brothers lap and obediently followed her mother out of the room.

"Here, let me take her," Alicia offered to Quinn as they were passing each other. The young mother smiled appreciatively and handed the baby over, before continuing on her way.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Quinn smiled softly at Artie as she stepped over and gladly filled the empty spot Abbey had left. "You scared me," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and resting her head against his.

"Sorry, didn't mean to," he replied guiltily, then shifted slightly to capture her lips in emphasis of that apology.

Quinn's lips twitched against his. "Just next time you decide to change your schedule without telling anyone...," she paused to apply another kiss, "...please leave your phone on."

Artie grinned and nodded. "I will."

Perplexed by the slight somberness of his tone, Quinn couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure you're okay?"

After the day he had, a 'no, not really', might have been the logical response...but the feeling of being wrapped up in his girlfriends arms, made his disappointment fade a little. Artie kissed Quinn one more time. "I am now," he replied, smiling.


	18. Chapter 18

_**An authors note...**__**A heartfelt thank you to all of my loyal readers...especially those who were so kind to review. My sincerest apology for the delay it updates as well. The past month has been really busy for me. That plus a small bout with writers block, as well as some lack of inspiration due to the waning interest in this story...made it a bit difficult to continue...but that's all behind me and I can now focus on cranking out these chapters faster. Hope you enjoy this installment, and thanks for reading.**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Ironically, Artie was feeling worse about having to break the bad news to Finn, than he had about the initial rejection. Well, no not really, but almost.

"Hey Dude, how did it go?" the taller boy called out as he slowed his jog down to a brisk walk.

Artie knew it wouldn't take much effort to speed away from the inevitable confrontation, but with the halls full of meandering students, he was worried he might accidentally take a few kids out in the process. Reality was inevitable, but one glance up at the hopeful look on his friends face.._.his_ friend, the star quarterback...

"Still on the fence," Artie replied evasively, looking forward to avoid giving away his guilt. He was always such a terrible liar and he hated the way it made him feel. But it wasn't as if he was completely lying in this instance, right? Just not as forthcoming with certain information as he maybe should have been.

"That sucks Man," Finn grumbled, disappointed. "So what, your parents gotta talk it over more...doc needs to run some tests or something..."

"Um yeah...something like that," he countered softly, yet equally dismissive, as he purposefully continued down the hall.

Artie wasn't sure why he felt the need to put on this charade, or just how long he was going to be able to keep it up...maybe until he was able to find a doctor that would sign off on...

"Hey boys," Quinn drawled, glancing playfully between her boyfriend and ex.

Coasting to a stop in front of his beautiful girlfriend, Artie remembered why.

If Quinn was at all suspicious by the sudden blossoming of the unique friendship between the two boys, she sure wasn't showing it. Turning to Finn, she politely asked, "Mind if l borrow him for a minute?"

Giving a casual shrug, he chuckled in reply, "Be my guest."

"Thanks," she replied, smiling back.

"Catch you later in Spanish?," Finn regarded Artie, implying he intended on revisiting this conversation when they were in class together.

"Sure thing," Artie returned, nodding and flashing that warily appreciative smile that conveyed his gratitude as well as his relief that Finn had not rescinded on their agreement to keep this subject to themselves. Lingering a moment to watch his friend retreat down the hall, Artie finally turned back to find Quinn staring at him with a huge grin on her face. "What?"

Her smile intensified at the sweet, self-conscious tone of his voice. "Nothing," she assured him, positively beaming. "It's just nice to see you and Finn getting along so well."

"Why, because it's absurd to think a kid in a wheelchair could be good friends with the star quarterback on the football team?" he bristled, almost defensively.

Quinn startled slightly, then furrowed her brow in confusion. "Um, no...," she countered dubiously, "because he's my ex, and my first real boyfriend...and I really wasn't very good to him." There was a pause as she studied Artie further, softening slightly when she noticed him lower his head in shame, "...and I'm glad he didn't hold any residual feelings of animosity towards me, that could have made things awkward between the two of you...," she hesitated again before taking two steps closer and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Artie, how could you even imagine I'd think something like that?"

"It was stupid...," he murmured, both apologetically and dismissively, then shrugged, "I wasn't _thinking_. I'm sorry." Quinn easily accepted his suggestion that a simple bout of word vomit was to blame. Maybe too easily. It was a response for which Artie was relieved to get. He looked up and flashed a smile at her, before quickly backpedaling. "So what's up?"

The frown Quinn was sporting, intensified into almost a pout as she remembered why she'd stop to talk with him in the first place. "Lunch...I'm not going to be able to meet you again...," she answered, visibly disappointed.

It didn't take long for Artie's expression to mirror hers...lunch time with Quinn was one of the few positive times in the school day he had to look forward too. "What now?" he asked through a sigh as he slumped down in his chair.

"Some meeting to educate us about the dangers of bullying," she explained casually, but still gave a small eye roll. "Apparently the football players and cheerleaders are the biggest offenders at this school."

"You're not like that," he countered in defense.

"Not anymore," she admitted softly, her smile tight with regret, "but I used to be."

Artie shook his head as he tugged lightly at Quinn's hand, silently beckoning her into his vacant lap. "You were never like _that_," he whispered comfortingly, and wrapped his strong arms around her after first reaching out to tenderly tuck a stray hair behind her ear. Skeptical as it may have made her feel, it was nice to know Artie never classified her type of bulling with the likes of Karofsky's or Santana's...even with the horrible way she'd treated Rachel last year. "But like it or not Quinn," he went on to state, "you're probably the strongest ally Glee club has in that group. Santana still hates most of us, and Brittany agrees with whatever Santana says..."

Suddenly, a rattling jolt killed the moment. Artie looked down at where Azimio's foot had just made contact with the side of his right wheel. "Get a handicapped accessible room, Cripple," he heard the bully yell out as he passed them.

Artie felt Quinn's body tense against him before she jumped from his lap. "Listen you stupid oaf...," she yelled back in challenge, causing him to stop and turn around, looking much like a deer caught in headlights. "What gives you the right to insult people...does it make you feel like more of a man to target those weaker than you?..."

Suddenly Artie felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach...Quinn's words hurt even more than Azimio's. _Is that what she really thought of him_?

"Because really, it only makes you a bigger ass," she spat out that last bit pointedly.

"Whatever," Azimio returned dismissively, though visibly shaken, and quickly stalked down the hall.

Quinn returned to Artie, a small smirk of satisfaction playing at her lips. "You okay?" she asked after noting that his face had paled considerably and his lips were drawn up in a tight line.

Apologetically, Artie lifted his eyes up to meet hers. His "I'm fine," was met with that slightly sympathetic look he got all the time, but hardly ever from her...a response he really hated being on the receiving end of.

Shaking it off as best he could, Artie forced a small encouraging smirk to his lips and gave Quinn a gentle nudge from his shoulder. "You know we're all counting on you," he finally choked out, trying not to sound as defeated as he felt, "...so go to that meeting and make some noise, Woman."

...

Principal Figgins, Coach Beiste and Mr. Schuester, along with eight of the forty-seven kids who were supposed to be there, actually showed up to the meeting. Six were football players, two were Cheerios, and all were Glee club members...though Quinn wasn't sure if Brittany actually wanted to be there since she'd only agreed to come with after Quinn found her wandering the halls, looking for Santana.

"I told them all this was a mandatory meeting," Coach Beiste growled, pacing the gym floor like she was a caged animal.

"Mandatory means nothing to Sue unless she's arranging it," Will pointed out with a disheartening shrug.

"I could care less about that overcooked side of tanned leather...," Shannon retorted bitingly.

"Did she just call Coach Sylvester a cow," Quinn whispered to Kurt, who was sitting next to her.

"Why yes, I think she did," he replied, eyes twinkling in amusement.

"...I was talking about the rest of my team."

"Maybe they forgot and went to lunch instead," Brittany supplied innocently. "I forget a lot...but now I'm just really hungry."

Ignoring the flaky blond, Shannon stopped in the small corner of the room she had been pacing in. "I don't know what to do to get all these boys on the same page. It's bad enough they're so divided here in school, but that's starting to affect the way they play out on that field...and I can't have..."

"Hold on, I think I have a solution," Will cut in, wheels in his head turning with ideas. "What if we get the football players to spend some time in the Glee club? That way, they could see..."

"You mean like sing with us?" Finn cut in, confused.

Will nodded and grinned. "It's perfect, we could do a number together, maybe for the pep assembly or the Homecoming..."

"No way Mr. Schue," Quinn interjected, aghast. "We shouldn't have to be subjected to perform with our tormentors because _they_..."

"What makes you think they'd even agree to do this?" Puck balked incredulously over her. "I mean, they wouldn't even show up to this stupid meeting."

"We'll make it mandatory...this time with consequences," Will returned, glancing over at Shannon for confirmation.

"Severe ones. If they don't show, they're off the team," she finished for him, smirking satisfactorily even though the thought of possibly having to kick three quarters of her players off the team, didn't exactly please her.

Quinn stood abruptly, shaking her head in disbelief. "This is ridiculous," she intoned frustratedly. "A week ago they tried to drown Artie in red slushy...his chair still smells like cherry. They almost ruined it too...and customized wheelchairs are not cheap..."

"We need to give it a shot Quinn," Mr. Schuester countered with a sympathetic smile and a comforting hand on her shoulder. "This might be the only way to stop things like that from happening."

Skeptically, she continued to shake her head.

"Alright children, you're free to go now," Principal Figgins announced impatiently. "If you hurry you may be still able to get the chicken casserole surprise for lunch today."

Quinn was the first out the door. She couldn't stand to be in that room one more second.

"Hey Quinn, wait up?" Instinctively turning at the unfamiliar voice calling out her name, she was a bit surprised when Sam jogged up next to her. "Walk you to lunch?"

"No thanks," she shook her dismissively, "I've kind of lost my appetite." He gave her a slightly sympathetic frown to which she added, "I was going to take a walk to clear my head, but as luck would have it...it's raining."

Sam's lips quirked up slightly. "Come with me," he suggested, casually, "I'll show you where I go to clear my head." Quinn furrowed her brow skeptically, she really wasn't in the mood for company... if she were, she would have just gone to the cafeteria to be with Artie. "I can just show you where it is and leave, if you really want to be alone...or we could just use the time to work on our duet..."

They really needed to start their project, and Quinn could definitely use a release right about now. So with only a slight hint of hesitation, she nodded and followed Sam down the hall.

...

"Missing your lady?"

"Huh?" Artie grunted, his head springing up from mesmerizing screen of his phone.

Tina and Mercedes couldn't help but giggle at the blank look that produced. "Quinn...the meeting with the Cheerios and football players? That's where Mike and Matt are," Tina reminded him.

"Oh yeah, that," Artie replied flatly, then returned his attention back to the text he was sending.

At their shared glances, both girls expressions turned curious...Artie was never this dismissive.

"Artie are you okay?" Tina asked, turning concerned when she noticed something odd to his right. "You haven't touched your lunch."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, still distracted by his phone. "I'll get to it later...this is kind of important."

Shrugging it off, Tina pushed the untouched tray closer to him, before taking that seat.

"Looks like some of the team didn't get the memo," Mercedes commented, motioning pointedly with her chin at the laughing table of jocks to their left.

"Or it ended early," Tina countered when she saw Mike, Matt and Kurt walking toward them. "Over all ready?" she called out to them.

"It's hard to accomplish anything when almost nobody shows up," Mike bellowed back, making sure he was loud enough for a certain group to hear.

With her suspicions confirmed, Mercedes frowned. "At least you tried," she offered encouragingly.

Matt shrugged. "Didn't do any good," he grumbled dishearteningly.

"Yeah," Kurt concurred, "and now Mr. Schue expects us to welcome them into our rehearsals."

"What?" Tina practically yelled.

"That's the same reaction Quinn had," Mike stated, smirking slightly.

Mercedes scanned the room, "Where is Quinn?"

"She stormed out of the gym," Matt answered casually, "left with Sam." That got Artie's attention. His lifted his head, eyes darting questioningly. "Probably to practice their duet," Matt added, backpedaling.

"Yeah," Artie muttered, unconvincingly. He looked between his friends faces and the buzzing phone in his hand. "I gotta go."

"Wait Artie," Tina called after his retreating form, "what about your lunch?"

"You guys can have it," he returned over his shoulder, then purposely pushed off for the door.

"Cool," Mike and Matt said simultaneously, while reaching for the discarded tray and pulling it toward them.

"Artie left his notebook," Kurt pointed out the item left underneath.

"We'll go," Mercedes offered for her and Tina since they'd already mostly finished with their food, and they were both equally disturbed by Artie's unusual behavior...plus they were the two who knew where he was most likely to go when upset.

...

"The science room?" Quinn asked incredulously. "Why didn't we just stay in the choir room."

"There's always too much traffic going in and out...and we need privacy if we're gonna win this thing," he replied nonchalantly. "Plus the staring at the planets always calms me...I was hoping it might work for you."

Quinn gave a small smile. "It's fine, I was just wondering."

Sam returned the gesture, but ended up holding her gaze a bit too long. "Have any songs in mind?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"Not really," she returned, casually looking around. "You?"

"A few," he answered and began strumming a few chords. Quinn immediately recognized the song as one of her favorites and her smile widened. "Do you play?" Sam inquired after he caught her staring at his hands.

Quinn blushed and shook her head. "No, Artie does...but I'd love to."

"Why don't you ask him to teach you?" Quinn's eyes flickered up in surprise. She'd never even thought of that. Sam chuckled at her reaction and waved her over. "Com'ere."

Tentatively, Quinn walked over. Sam gently took hold of her hand and placed it on the neck of his guitar. Showing her exactly how to do it, he began strumming again, this time with Quinn's help, then started the song...

"Do you hear me? I'm talkin' to you. Across the water, across the deep blue ocean, under the open sky, oh my...baby I'm tryin'."

"Boy I hear you in my dreams. I feel you whisper across the sea. I keep you with me in my heart...you make it easier when life gets hard."

"I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been. Lucky to be coming home again...Ooh..."

"Sam, I can't do this," Quinn cried out, stopping abruptly.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?"

Quinn pushed away and tried to cool her spreading blush with her slightly trembling hands. "This," she replied waving her hand around the room. "Sneaking around like this with you, singing this song with you...I have a boyfriend."

"And I have a girlfriend," he was quick to point out. "Well, sort of...me and Brittany are kind of doing it."

Quinn grimaced and tried to shake that image from her head. "It's just this this song has a lot of meaning for me, and if I were to sing it with you, in Glee club..."

"You want to sing it to Artie?" he cut in smirking. All the blood in her body rushed to Quinn's face and she lowered her head demurely. "I can teach you, if you want," Sam offered genuinely. Quinn's head shot up, a skeptically surprised look plastered on her face. "Since we have to practice for our duet anyway...," he added with a smile, "a different song, of course..."

"You'd do that for me?" she interjected, her expression softening considerably.

He grinned and shrugged sheepishly, "Sure, why not."

"Thanks Sam," Quinn whispered appreciatively, her voice weary with emotion.

The blond boy nodded and beckoned her over once again. He placed her arms in the correct hold, then braced them with his own...his chest pressed against her back...

The music was coming from down the hall, but not from the choir room like how they'd anticipated. Hand clasping around the knob, Tina let out a gasp as she peered through the small window in the door.

"They look cozy," Mercedes remarked in a hushed tone, eyes wide with disbelief. "A little too cozy."

Tina let out a disheartening sigh and looked pleadingly over at her friend. "How are we going to tell Artie?"

...

**_ANx2...Megan has been rubbing off on me far too much lately;), which is why I couldn't help but slip a little gansta Artie into __this chapter. I thought it would be fun to pull a few things from different episodes and put them into one chapter, so that's what I did. Please let me know what you think:)  
_**


	19. Chapter 19

_**An authors note..so happy to see my loyal readers have stuck with me through this and a huge welcome(back) to those who are new, and those of you who have returned;) I know for some of you Quartie lovers, all of this angst and turmoil is difficult to read...believe me, it is difficult to write as well. But it is necessary in giving this arc an honest portrayal...all relationships are not always sunshine and butterflies. In going through all of this, it will make Quartie a stronger couple in the end...and rest assured, they will make it thorough:)  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

After finding Artie taking all of his frustrations out on his locker, neither Tina or Mercedes wanted to be the one to voice their suspicions to him.

"Hey Artie," Tina called out, soft and slightly hesitant.

"What?" he barked tersely.

Tina glanced tentatively over at Mercedes...maybe he already suspected something. "You forgot your notebook," the latter replied flatly, her tone lacking it's usual sass.

"Oh thank God," Artie gasped as he let out a sigh of relief, and spun his chair to face them. "I thought I'd lost it and I have a major calc test today..."

Maybe not.

At the trailing off of his words, Tina and Mercedes shared another concerned glance. It wasn't like Artie to be this dismissive or distracted, especially considering he wasn't exactly exuding the type of reaction that normally went hand in hand with finding out your girlfriend skipped out on having lunch with you, to be with another guy.

In fact, he didn't really seemed bothered by that at all...nor did he show any emotion until a set of cool fingertips grazed the back of his neck. "Missed you at my locker," Quinn revealed to Artie, but only after first greeting their mutual friends with a warm smile.

"Missed you at lunch," he retorted, leaning into her touch slightly as he tilted his head to look up at her.

"Sorry," she returned with a playful pout, but it didn't last long, and Quinn quickly glanced away. "Since we only have two weeks left, Sam and I finally took the time to work on our duet. I texted you...," it was her turn to trail off, her words coming out more like an apology, rather than an explanation.

"Yeah, I got it," Artie assured her, though his eyes shifted down over the guilt he felt for just noticing that text once he stopped at his locker...because he was texting someone else.

Neither Mercedes or Tina were aware of this. All they knew was what they saw through the window of the classroom...and what they saw looked like a little more than just practicing.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before anyone dared to speak. "So everything is okay with you two?," Mercedes intoned, her eyes darting suspiciously between the pair. Something was definitely off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it...

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"Of course...why wouldn't it be?"

Artie's distractedly dismissive tone returned...while Quinn's took on a slightly remorseful resonance. Either way...neither of them sounded all that convincing.

"Are you sure?" Tina pressed, not so subtly. "I just mean.."

"Well, if you're referring to the recent news that we will soon be expected to share sacred class time with Karofsky, Azimio, and the lot...then no, I'm not okay," Artie cut in bitingly, then frowned and grimaced apologetically at Tina.

She dismissed his outburst with a small, sympathetically understanding smile. They had all been subjected to the cruelties of these morons in the past, some worse than others...though Artie was the only one of_ them_ currently on the receiving end of the majority of the bullying that was being dished out.

"It might not be so bad," Quinn broke in encouragingly. A remark the elicited a gasp of disbelief from Mercedes, and Tina and Artie to look at her like she'd grown a third eye. "I mean music has the power to make everything better...," she continued, her thoughts drifting back to a half hour ago in the science room, and the song she was learning to play for her boyfriend.

Quinn sent a meaningful glance Artie's way. "What's that old adage your dad always uses...," she asked, pausing as she smiled brightly at him, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?"

Artie managed to force a smile and nod before the weight of those words settled deep within his gut. He'd already tried that...and failed. Those words he was taught to live by, from young on, had been twisted into this warped reality where not only had the bullies effectively beat him...they would also be joining him.

Artie Abrams had never in his life, felt so defeated.

...

The training room was located down a small corridor, just east of the school's pool...almost hidden away from the main hallway, gym, and boys locker room. He'd been going there after school for a few days now, everyday but Wednesday...and no one was the wiser.

He could have just as easily just gone home and headed down to the basement where Andy had a small weight room set up, and done this. But that would have required a lot more effort than it took to simply wheel into a room. Besides, he almost never got down into the basement without Abbey in tow. She didn't like going down there alone, even though it was finished and as comfortably furnished as the first floor...and she would undoubtedly ask too many questions, then possibly, no, probably tattle to everyone that he was using Andy's weights, which would ultimately result in more questions.

Not that he had anything to hide.

And as much as Artie loved spending time with his little sister, sometimes he just needed a little privacy. Doing this gave him that solace, that peaceful...

"Hey Artie, what're you doing here?"

The sound of the silence shattering around him, made Artie jerk. He instinctively tightened his grip on the bar suspended over his chest so he wouldn't drop the weights he was lifting, and crush himself.

"You need a hand?" Finn offered when he noticed Artie struggle a bit to maintain his balance on the narrow bench.

"No thanks, I got it," Artie was quick to reply as he levered the weight back onto the stand, before propping himself up on one elbow.

The air between them began to grow thick. Artie knew what was coming next and he hated it, but having Finn just stand there, staring at his thin, limp legs crossed at the ankle and stretched out along the bench in front of him, was even more unnerving than having to complete the somewhat tricky transfer back into his chair.

Figuring this would be easier on everyone if there was a distraction, Artie decided to strike up a conversation while he carefully manipulated his limbs. "Yeah, I've been coming here for a few days now, trying to build a little more..."

"Dude, you're guns are already pretty impressive," Finn broke in, his tone casual and his expression less strained...though he was still standing at the ready, close enough to reach out and help if Artie required assistance.

Artie gave a quick dismissive shrug before shifting into his chair. "They're adequate necessity wise," he went on to explain while arranging his legs, "I just need to build up my strength for a project I have going..."

"Yeah, bulking up for your spot on the team," Finn quipped, a hopeful enthusiasm evident in his tone.

Artie began to nod, but opted for a forced smile instead as he busied himself with the task of now adjusting his gloves. "What brings you here?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, just swapping out these five pound leg weights for the ten pounders," Finn explained, walking over to retrieve the the cart he'd left in the doorway. "Coach has us running laps with the weights to build muscle and stamina...," the quarterback paused to eye his seated friend curiously. "She'll probably just attach some to your chair when you're ready to train...," he deduced, then went right back to his previous thought as though that statement had never even left his mouth, "...but now I think she's trying to kill us."

Artie let out a soft chuckle, but the smile never quite reached his eyes.

I Finn even noticed, he didn't say anything, just went about his business until Artie asked, "Do you think it's safe to go out there yet? I mean do you think Karofsky and his goons..."

"They're long gone Dude," Finn cut in, glancing over his shoulder. "It's like almost six."

"Shit," Artie muttered under his breath as he looked up at the clock on the wall...the one that had read 1:37 for the past week. Finn straightened to his full height and regarded Artie with a curious expression. "I was supposed to get a ride home from Martin after jazz bad practice, but he had to cut out early...so I figured I'd get some pumping in while I waited for Quinn..."

"Yep...gone too," Finn finished regretfully, causing Artie to let out the sigh of frustration he was holding in. "But I can drive you home."

The offer wasn't a total surprise, since Finn generally was a pretty nice guy to everyone...it just took Artie by surprise. "I'd appreciate that...if you don't mind," he sputtered in reply, then cringed slightly before adding, "I'll need a few minutes to change..."

"No worries Man," Finn returned casually. "I've still got to finish up here, get these over to Coach's office, and hit the shower myself," he continued, grinning as he gave his grass stained uniform a quick once over. "Meet me in the North lot in twenty...section B."

...

It irked Artie that in the time it took him to simply empty his bladder and change from his shorts, back into his pants, Finn had finished swapping out the weights, dropped the new ones off to Coach Beiste, showered, dressed...and still managed to beat him out to the parking lot.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Finn asked as Artie coasted to a stop in front of him.

"That's a truck."

Finn's grin widened. "Isn't it awesome?"

"A pickup truck," Artie reiterated, a little more pointedly this time.

"Yeah," Finn beamed, "Burt gave it to me on the condition that I help him fix it up...kind of like a step-father, step-son bonding thing. Now I don't have to drive my Mom's...You sure you're okay?"

"I, um...," Artie stammered, the crease in his brow intensifying as his eyes shifted between his friend and the cab of the vintage truck, "I can't get in there."

"Well if you need a boost..."

"No," Artie interjected firmly, but lowered his gaze self-consciously. "I mean I can't get in there...at all...at least not by myself," he mumbled the last part and paused contemplatively. Yeah, that cab definitely sat higher than Kurt's SUV, and with no modern features such as door frame handles to grab onto... "I'll need someone to lift me into...and out of the seat."

As much as he hated asking for help, Artie was not about to risk bodily harm by attempting to pull himself into the truck using nothing but the slippery leather interior and the actual door...especially when there was a very real possibility that the door could accidentally swing closed on his hand. And where would that leave him? He relied on his hands for absolutely _everything_.

No, his pride would just have to take hit this time...

"Okay," he heard Finn say, with no hint of reservation or pity in his voice, and looked up in shock. "Just tell me what I need to do."

...

The ride to the Abrams house, for the most part, was made in complete silence...partly because Artie was still slightly embarrassed that he required assistance to get into Finn's truck, and also because he was afraid to strike up a conversation for fear he'd let the secret he was keeping from the quarterback, slip.

"I take a left up here...right?" Finn asked after a few minutes, even though he had been to Artie's house a few times in the past year.

"Yeah," he muttered correctly, "the next left."

There was another lull in the conversation until Finn asked a minute later, "Hey, what happened to the van you were driving?"

"My Mom needed it more than I do," Artie answered with an indifferent shrug, "she's got my sister and the baby all day...," His words trailed off at Finn's nod. "And since Quinn has her own car, we...," then again at the grin that was spreading across his face. "What?"

"You're good for her," the taller teen simply stated, though it was clear from the change in Artie's expression that perhaps that wasn't the consensus.

"You think so...?" He didn't mean for his doubt to come out so obviously...or even at all.

"Sure man...don't you?" Finn returned questioningly.

"Well yeah, of course," Artie was quick to dismiss, "I'm just...forget it."

Finn must have thought he recognized the look on Artie's face as he cast a skeptical glance to his right. "I mean it's obvious you make her happy. She's always smiling...well except when Karofsky and them are bothering you..."

Artie's frown pulled a little deeper, but Finn hadn't noticed, he was on a roll. "You guys don't keep secrets from one another...or lie to each other."

He could feel his heart start it decent into the pit of his stomach. "And you don't have a best friend who's going to go behind your back and get her drunk and pregnant..."

"Okay Finn...," Artie interjected, unable to make himself listen to any more. Even if it was mostly the truth, and Finn was trying to be a friend, and not malicious in any way, it still hurt...and brought back the flood of insecurities that had been plaguing him for weeks.


	20. Chapter 20

_**An authors note...For those of you who consistently read, review and support this story(and you know who you are;), my deepest gratitude goes out to you. For those new faces out there, welcome and thank you. This piece is short and a plot building bridge to the end of this arc. Only two more chapters left. I know many of you will be happy to hear that...I'm happy too, but not because it's ending...because this has paved the way for so much more to come. Enjoy!  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Homecoming was fast approaching, and the entire school was buzzing with excitement. Okay, maybe not the entire school...

"Dude, did you pick up your tickets for the Homecoming dance yet?"

Artie snapped his head up and around so fast, he almost got whiplash. "Oh hey Finn," he replied, trying to blink the drowsiness from his eyes as he cursed himself for almost falling asleep in study hall...again. "Um no, not yet...I'm not even sure we're going..."

"Not going to the dance?," Finn gasped incredulously, loud enough to get the attention of the other students in the room, as well as earn him a stern look of disapproval from the room monitor.

Artie gave a slightly dismissive shrug, then leaned closer to Finn. "I mean I know we're going to the games and stuff...Andy's playing and Quinn's cheering...but she hasn't said anything about the dance..."

"Dude you can't be serious," Finn whispered this time, but his tone held the same disbelief as before. "She's never gonna _say_ anything, she's waiting for you to _ask her_. It's a dance Man, a really important dance...and you're her boyfriend..."

Artie lowered his gaze to his lap. That right there was a big part of the problem...this was a _dance_, and _he_ was_ her_ boyfriend.

"Besides, she's the head Cheerio...a shoo-in for Queen this year..."

Artie's stomach twisted with guilt. How could he have forgotten that his girlfriend held a particular title for the past three years in a row? Of course she'd want to go...

"I've already been nominated for Senior class King...," Finn casually went on to explain, "Sam is up against some kid named... I forget...for the Junior class. I don't think it really matters, because he's totally going to win. I mean Sam's like the most popular kids in his grade...hell, nearly the whole school. All the girls are always falling all over him, and...Hey Artie, are you gonna be okay with this?" he asked out of genuine concern for his friend and their friendship when he noticed the smaller boys expression cloud over. "I mean if Quinn and I win Queen and King this year...it won't make things awkward between us, will..."

"Oh, um...no, it'll be fine," Artie replied, just a little more than distracted by his thoughts. Sure it would suck seeing his girlfriend up there with her ex, but it wasn't like he was in contention for...

"Cause if it isn't..."

"Finn, really...it'll be fine," Artie interjected, as convincingly as he could muster, then gave an indifferent shrug. "It's not like I haven't had enough practice waiting as my girlfriend spends almost all of her free time with a bunch of other guys."

The bitterness of Artie's tone was not lost on Finn, even if he was a little slow to catch on at times. "You mean the football team?"

Artie could feel his shoulders rise and fall on their own accord. Was it just the football team? His mind began drifting back a few weeks. "Have you ever noticed Sam staring at Quinn?"

Finn's face contorted into a pained frown. "I don't usually watch him..."

"I didn't think you would," Artie corrected, sporting a frown of his own at how ridiculous he sounded. "He just always seems to have his eye on her..."

"Dude, she's gorgeous," Finn interjected incredulously.

"I know, but he's always smiling at her and..."

"Yeah? He's a really friendly guy..."

Not helping...and neither was the way they kept talking over one another.

Artie let out the sigh of frustration he hadn't realized he was holding in. "It's just ever since they began practicing for their duet, I've noticed they've become really close...and there seems to be something more between them than..."

"Dude, you don't think that Quinn's cheating?" Finn asked, voice hushed with disbelief. "Because she totally wouldn't do that to you," he added adamantly.

"I know...," Artie sighed resignedly, as he tried to physically shake the thought from his head, "I guess I'm just being paranoid..."

"Of course I never thought she'd cheat on me with my best friend and get pregnant..."

Okay, really not helping Finn.

"Hey Artie man...where are you going?" he asked in the next breath as his friend deftly moved passed him.

Artie glanced over his shoulder, a determined look on his face. "Only six minutes 'til the bell," he replied, pulling a hall pass out of his pocket and tossing it onto his lap, before returning his hand to the rims of his chair, "and I still need to get my tickets for the dance."

...

She must have noticed him before he noticed her, because she was smiling at him when their eyes met...that smile that still made his stomach flutter every time he saw it.

"I was waiting for you," she revealed softly as he neared, grin widening exponentially.

"Sorry, I had to pick something up first," he replied, unable to resist returning the dazzling smirk she was giving him, with one of his own.

Quinn's expression turned curious. "Pick up what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Artie countered teasingly.

"A surprise?" she playfully squealed with delight.

Artie tilted his head to the side and gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. "Maybe?," he maintained, not breaking his casualness even though a huge smile was threatening to break through.

"I love surprises," Quinn cooed innocently, as she slid into Artie's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I know you do," Artie replied, trying hard to keep his tone flat, his expression neutral, and...indifferent.

Quinn's lips began to quirk up into a mischievous smirk...two can play this game. "Well, it just so happens that I may have a surprise of my own for you in the works too," she cut in playfully.

"Oh really?" he queried, clearly enjoying playing along.

"Really," she giggled, pressing herself up against his chest and resting her head against his.

Artie let his eyes drift shut, reveling in the feeling of Quinn in his arms. It had been too long since they sat like this...okay, it had really only been a day and a half, but in his mind, that was far too long.

"I could stay like this forever," Quinn muttered just as the bell began to ring.

"So could I," Artie concurred, pressing his lips up to her temple.

"But I have to go to FCS* and you have to go to your AP History class," she announced, albeit reluctantly, as she stood from his lap.

Artie lifted his eyes slowly and looked deep into those gorgeous hazel eyes, and suddenly all the stress of the day drifted away...all of the lingering questions, the reservations that were fueled by his insecurities and previous discussion with Finn, were pushed back deep into his subconscious...where he was enough for her, where Sam Evans, or Finn Hudson, or Noah Puckerman, or any other able-bodied teenaged boy or football player wasn't a threat.

"Later?," Quinn offered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting it fall from her grasp.

Artie flashed her a bright, genuine smile, and nodded, "Later."

...

It all happened by accident. Tina was minding her own business when she heard a booming voice down the hall...

"Quinn, wait up."

Naturally at the sound of her friends name being called out, Tina turned her head to see Sam Evans jogging toward the pretty blond. She really didn't pay much attention until she noticed a guilty looking Quinn hastily scan the hallway, then pull Sam by the front of his shirt, into the doorway of the classroom next to her locker.

"We really shouldn't be talking like this, out in the open," she whispered, in a slightly scolding tone.

"Why not?," he replied, sounding hushed as well, but also rather smug. "We're duet partners."

"I know, but if someone sees us sneaking around here at school, they're gonna get suspicious," she countered pointedly.

"Then why don't we just tell everyone?" he asked incredulously.

"Sam, we can't," she pleaded desperately, "at least not yet."

Every brain cell in Tina's head was screaming at her mind her business and just walk away, but she couldn't, Artie was her friend.

Sam heaved a heavy sigh of frustration. "No matter when he finds out he's probably gonna get mad it was with me..."

"Maybe for a little bit," Quinn cut in anxiously, "but when all's said and done, I'm sure he'll end up understanding."

"Whatever," Sam grumbled flippantly, then changed subjects. "I was just wondering if you wanted to meet this Saturday morning..."

"I can't," Quinn interjected, "I have to work." There was a pause in the conversation and Tina held her breath, waiting for what was next to come. "I told you, Wednesdays are the best days for us to meet because Artie's already at an extended Physio session and won't suspect anything."

"But only one day a week really isn't enough..."

"I know," Quinn cut him off again, sounding equally as distressed as Sam. Another slight hesitation and Tina was about to slam her locker shut and storm right over there and give them a piece of her mind..."Maybe we could just use the duet excuse next time."

"Or additional Homecoming practices?" he suggested.

Quinn rejected that request with a firm 'Uh-uh'. "He'll find out if we lie about anything Homecoming related...it'll have to be duet practice."

"Okay, so usual...tonight, 4pm, my place?"

"I'll be there." Tina heard Quinn reply, her voice light and airy.

There was some rustling, the sound of what Tina could only assume was hugging...if not full on lip locking...and the thought made her sick to her stomach. Quinn muttered a breathy "Thanks Sam," which was followed but a small grunt in reply...and it wasn't long before the sound of rubber soled shoes began to disappear down the opposite end of the hallway.

Tina waited for Sam to pass behind her before she shut the door of her locker and slid to the floor. With her previous suspicions now confirmed, she was armed with not only the knowledge of what had just transpired...but what that news would do to one of the sweetest guys she'd ever known.

...

**_ANx2...I know what some of you are thinking, so I ask you to please don't. This is a Quartie story, and a Quartie story it will ALWAYS be. With that being said, there is NO reason that either of these two characters shouldn't, or wouldn't have friends of the opposite gender, who care a great deal about them, without having it be anything more than that. Also, I put a * by FCS, in case anyone was not aware of what it stands for...Family Consumer Sciences...the perfect class for Mommy Quinn to be taking;)  
_**


	21. Chapter 21

_**An authors note...Such an AMAZING response to the last chapter...thank you all so very much. This is the final building chapter for the culmination of an over ten chapter arc that I wasn't sure I would ever be able to write. My adoration for Artie and Quinn both individually and as a couple is very strong, and I absolutely love coming up with new and different directions to take them in. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting and alerting...I hope you enjoy this.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

What she had witnessed between Quinn and Sam the previous day, was weighing heavily on Tina's mind. **_  
_**

"I really don't think I can do this Mike," she groaned under her breath, as the pair walked arm in arm down the hall to the choir room.

"You have to Tee, you're his friend," Mike countered, giving an extra squeeze of encouragement.

"But that's just it, I _am_ his friend," she retorted, sighing heavily. "How am I supposed to tell him that his girlfriend is cheating on him, without breaking his heart?"

Mike's expression softened and tenderly kissed her forehead. "He's probably going to be heartbroken, no matter how he finds out," he stated the obvious, "but don't you think he'd rather hear it from a friend, rather than the grapevine, or worse...Jacob Ben Israel?"

Tina gave a noncommittal shrug, and frowned, shaking her head, "I really don't think he wants to hear it at all..."

Mike looked down and offered her a sympathetic smile of understanding, then comforted her by hugging her a little tighter to his chest as they rounded the next corner.

...

As she walked into the class room, her eyes were immediately drawn to Artie, who was sitting in his usual spot...alone. Quinn was nowhere in the room...come to think of it, neither was Sam.

Suspicion #1. They must be together...they were the only two missing...

She sat down, making sure to get the best seat in the choir room...top row, left side, end...where she could see, _and hear_, just about everything.

It wasn't long before Quinn walked in. Instinctively, her eyes fell back onto Artie, and his face lit up...just like she knew it would. Sam jogged in, barely a minute behind her, short of breath and flushed much like Quinn.

Suspicion #2. Hmmm...gettin' it on in private.

Quinn nuzzled Artie's nose, then whispered something into his ear that made him laugh. The exchange made her feel sick to her stomach. She rolled her eyes disgustedly.

Mr. Schuester walked in next, acknowledged the class, and asked how the duets were coming along and if any of the groups were ready to perform their selection. She watched as Quinn turned her head in Sam's direction, met his eyes, and looked away guiltily.

Suspicion #3. Definitely hiding something.

The brunettes lips slowly parted into a wicked smirk, she'd been waiting for this chance for revenge, for weeks. Santana Lopez had finally found that one thing that would bring Queen _Bitch_ Fabray, to her knees.

...

She just couldn't confront Artie after Glee club practice...one, because she still had reservations about telling him in the first place, and two, because Quinn was with him the entire time. Not that_ that_ should have mattered, but...

Sleeping on it gave her the chance to formulate exactly what she was going to say when she broke the news, and how to do it, in the gentlest possible way. Though she didn't actually get much sleep...just did lots, and lots of thinking.

"We have a problem."

Artie finished shoving his History book into his locker and slowly twisted his head around, gaze starting at the floor and going up."Is the problem you're outfit?" he asked deadpan, though his eyes were dancing with amusement. "Because you look like a cheerleader zombie corpse."

Tina glanced down, almost forgetting all about the unique 'outfit' she had dressed in that morning, complete with the ridiculous curly pigtails that were totally Mercedes idea. "What can I say...Mike likes cheerleaders," she returned, trying to remain casual though there was with a blush creeping up her neck, and a twitch pulling at the corner of her lips.

"I do too," Artie quipped, shrugging innocently.

Tina's expression immediately fell, and a deep frown replaced her momentarily playful mood. "Artie...about that...," she paused, unable to look directly at him, so she settled on the locker above him and blurted out in one long breath, "I think there might be something going on between Quinn and Sam."

"What? You crazy," Artie drawled playfully, though the garbled insinuation made something twist painfully within his chest.

Tina cringed at the abruptness of her word vomit...this was definitely not the way this scene had played out when she was rehearsing it in her head. "Haven't you noticed how distracted she's been lately?" she offered, a little gentler this time.

"Not really, it's Homecoming," he returned with a dismissive shrug and quickly returned his attention back to his locker.

"I know, but they're almost inseparable," Tina pressed on, hinting subtly at...she didn't even know what.

"They're singing a duet together," Artie retorted pointedly, turning back to face her.

Tina let out a frustrated sigh. She could hear the annoyance in Artie's voice, and figured it would just be better to rip the band-aid off quickly...," Mercedes and I caught them sneaking around in the science room a few weeks back..."

"And you're just telling me about it now?" he cut in incredulously, "Way to be a friend Tee."

"We weren't positive there was anything going on...," she countered defensively, then paused and heaved another sigh before continuing, "...until I overheard them yesterday, making plans to get together tonight while you're at Physio, because it's the only time they can be alone..."

"That doesn't necessarily prove that she's cheating...," he shot back, piercingly.

Tina could see the fire burning behind his eyes. She knew this would make him mad, how could it not...but he was getting mad at the wrong person. Don't shoot the messenger. "I suppose it doesn't," she concurred, giving a dismissive shrug for emphasis. "But don't be naive Artie...she doesn't exactly have a very good track record when it comes to stuff like this. If it happened once, who's to say it won't happen again..."

"She made a mistake," Artie cut in bitingly, though he quickly realized his poor choice of wording. "Not to say Caroline is a mistake...," he immediately corrected. Tone subdued and words failing, he added, "She's changed."

Tina's expression softened and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I hope for your sake, that's true," she replied sincerely. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

At her parting words, Artie looked from a retreating Tina, back to his locker and sighed heavily..._It was a little late for that._

...

"Hey Quinn."

"Artie, what are you doing here?," Quinn gasped, whipping her head around just in time to see her boyfriend coast to a stop next to her.

"Came to see my girlfriend at her locker," he retorted flatly, with just a tiny bit of edge at the very end, "...is there some law against that?"

"I meant how did you get here so quickly?," she corrected, trying hard to hide her surprise, as well as her confusion at his snippy response. "I know you have an extra five minutes between classes, but your last class was clear across campus..."

Artie pulled out the hall pass that was wedged under his thigh and held it up between two fingers, "This comes in handy sometimes."

Quinn cracked a leery smile...it wasn't like him to abuse his privileges. "I suppose it does," she replied with a forced playfulness. Something was definitely off with him today, but he was fine this morning...

"Wanted to know if I should save you a seat at lunch," he offered, less snippy and more sincere this time.

Quinn let out a sigh and frowned. "I wish I could say yes," she groaned apologetically, "but Coach Sylvester called for another one of her mandatory lunchtime meetings today."

Artie frowned, clearly disappointed, and possibly...angry?

"After school then?" he pressed.

"I have Cheerio practice and you have Glee Club rehearsal before your Physio appointment," she reminded him pointedly.

"I could skip it," he suggested, hoping he didn't sound nearly as desperate as he was starting to feel. "We can go get a latte."

"Don't be ridiculous Artie," Quinn countered, forcing a nervous chuckle as she turned her attention back to the inside of her locker.

Artie let out a frustrated sigh, "It's really not a big deal..."

"Artie, we've had this discussion before...," Quinn interjected, slightly exasperated, and definitely dismissive, and turned back to face him. "You're not just going to skip out on your physical therapy...and definitely not for coffee."

"But I..."

"Look, maybe we can go out after dinner, take Abbey out for ice cream and then get our coffee. Okay?," Quinn cut in with the suggestion, then shut her locker door and clutched her books to her chest. "But right now, I really need to get to class."

Artie glance up at Quinn, noticing immediately how her eyes didn't...couldn't...quite meet his.

"I'll see you at home," she murmured softly before placing a gentle kiss to his cheek, and walking off.

Artie sat, watching Quinn disappear from his view, when his phone abruptly buzzed and alerted him of an incoming text. He reflexively reached around to the side pocket of his backpack to retrieve the offending device, determined to ignore any form of communication, since he really wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone anyway...until he glanced at the screen and saw who it was leaving the message.

Hurriedly flipping open to the keypad, Artie quickly typed in the reply..._"Dude, I need yr help. Today, after school."_

...

"You know she's only with you because it's convenient."

Artie glanced up over his left shoulder and frowned...he really didn't need this from her, now...or ever. "I don't know what you're talking about?"

"C'mon Wheels...don't tell me you don't see it," Santana snickered, motioning with her chin over to where Quinn had just whispered something into Sam's ear in passing, then walked off smiling, "...Barbie and Ken over there?"

"There's nothing to see," he shot back dismissively as he clenched his fingers harder around the rims of his chair, in preparation to get as far away from her as he could.

"Oh but there is," she taunted. "If you haven't noticed, she's a cheerleader and he's a football player...it was only just a matter of time before they fell for one another."

Artie pulled hard at his wheels, but Santana was too quick and stepped directly in front of him, effectively blocking his escape.

"It's not your fault though," she continued, her smirk widening, "Q's always had a thing for football players...especially quarterbacks...or ones who already had girlfriends..."

"Look Santana..."

"...and honestly I'm kind of surprised it took her this long." Artie's witty retort died in his throat and he glanced up, stunned. Santana had him exactly where she wanted him. "...I mean, if her meal ticket wasn't at stake, of course...," she trailed off, reveling in delight at the pained expression on his face...though she only wanted to piss him off, not make his head explode.

Artie dropped his chin down to his chest in defeat. "Look, I'm not trying to be a bitch," Santana backpedaled, almost sounding sincere. Almost. "Okay, maybe I am," she changed her mind...Quinn Fabray deserved everything that was coming to her...and crouched down beside Artie, for the sole purpose of getting her point across, "But the only thing you can give Q, that she can't get anywhere else...is super choice parking."

And with that she was gone...leaving him with even more to contemplate than his already swirling brain could handle.

**_ANx2...Borrowed a few things from various season two episodes and sprinkled them into this chapter...hope you like my spin on things;)  
_**

**_ANx3...And to all of my Canadian friends out there...Happy Canada Day!_**


	22. Chapter 22

_**An authors note...There nothing more rewarding then wrapping up a difficult storyline with a happy ending. However, this particular arc is having a hard time leaving my muse. I originally planned to elaborate on the talk between Quinn and Artie, as well as one between Art and Artie/Alica, but that would mean extending this arc into one more chapter. Of course the chapter would be full of sweet, happy Quartie/family goodness(and a little angst thrown in there for good measure;), but it would also give us one more arc focused chapter. **_

_**This is where you come in my lovely readers...please leave me a note, whether or not this is something you'd like to read, either in your review, or in a PM. That way I will know exactly where my audience stands. Again, I appreciate all your love and support and value your opinion immensely...thanks so much, and Enjoy!  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

"Well this is a first," Alicia commented playfully as she exited the van with Abbey, Andy, and Caroline in tow. She was amazed at the timing...her pulling into the garage at the same time Art was pulling into the driveway, and Quinn was pulling up in front of the house,"all of us home at the same time."

"Everyone but Artie," Abbey made sure to point out, her tone harboring slight disappointment.

Alicia smiled lovingly at her daughter before glancing down at her watch. "Yes, but he'll be ready to be picked up soon," she replied, tapping the tip of Abbey's nose with her finger. The little girl smiled back at her mother, then ran off to greet her father with an exuberant hug.

"Here, I can take her," Quinn offered to Alicia, motioning down to Caroline's car seat. "Sorry I wasn't able to bring Andy home today," she added apologetically.

"That's okay Sweetie, it was no problem. I appreciate you doing the bulk of the driving most days," Alicia assured her as she handed the baby over. "How was your...meeting?"

"Oh, fine, thanks," Quinn replied dismissively, then quickly changed the subject. "Was she good today?"

"A perfect angel...as usual," Alicia quipped, smiling down at the baby."Not fussy at all consider how swollen her gums are. I'm pretty sure those top teeth are just about to break through."

"Already?" Quinn gasped incredulously. She couldn't believe how fast her baby was growing.

Alicia chuckled. "Abbey had all four front teeth by the time she was four months old."

Abbey flashed Quinn her cheesiest grin for emphasis. Laughter erupted while Alicia flashed her daughter a mock glare for disapproval. It amazed her how the most active little girl she knew, could almost always be found bumming a ride off of others...but here she was, happily perched on her fathers hip...

"She ate well today," Alicia went on to fill in Quinn as they all walked into the house together, "slept fine too..."

Andy was already raiding the refrigerator when the rest of the family walked into the kitchen.

"...and she even tried to pull herself up into a sitting position while I was changing her diaper..."

A strange noise coming from the the direction of the living room, got everyone's attention.

"Abbigayle Hope, if you've let another cat into this house...," Alicia mock scolded in a teasing manner as she headed through the dinning room into the...

"Woah, Artie," Abbey gasped in disbelief...she wasn't the only one...then quickly wiggled down from her fathers arms and ran over to her brother. "You look like a robot."

Artie let out a sheepish chuckle. "It's called a Re-walk," he explained to her. "You remember when we watched that video online about the guy in Israel who invented these?" Abbey nodded dutifully as she tentatively reached out to touch the frame attached to Artie's left leg.

"Where did you get it?" Quinn queried softly, taking a few tentative steps forward.

The sound of Quinn's voice caused Artie to jerk his head up...he'd almost forgotten there were other people in the room. He caught a glimpse of his parents, both with tears in their eyes. His mothers must have already spilled over once because her cheeks were damp, and she stood there now, fingers pressed to her lips, presumably to stop from shedding anymore. Andy was just behind them, standing with a complete look of disbelief etched over his face.

"The center," he returned casually, then instantly recalled his conversations with both Tina and Santana and turned his attention elsewhere. "We weren't even slotted to get one until January of 2013 because we're a smallish center and there's such a high demand and manufacturing issues..."

"I thought there was a huge patient waiting list too," Art cut in, after first clearing the emotion from his throat.

"There is, but since that huge benefit your company threw last year, raised all of that money, we were able to contact the right people...," Artie continued, "...and I was able to talk Mark into giving me first dibs, since it was someone from my family who made it possible, faster."

Quinn's expression turned from awestruck to perplexed. "Wow Artie, that really doesn't sound like something you would do...put yourself before others..."

"Well maybe it's time I started," he shot back coolly, which caused Quinn to visibly flinch. Artie wasn't able to see her reaction, only because his eyes were focused on the floor near her feet. "Here, check me out," he said a beat later, shifting his gaze over to where his parents were standing and forcing a smile.

Artie pressed a button on the transmitter attached to his wrist. There was an audible sob that escaped Alicia's lips as her son took his first, natural looking steps toward her, in more than nine years.

"So like can we hold hands for real now when we walk together?" The innocence of Abbey's question broke through the tense silence.

Artie ginned down at his sister and tilted his head thoughtfully. "I still need to use my crutches for balance," he told her, "but I don't think I need my whole hand around the grip." Flexing out the three fingers of his right hand, Artie didn't have to wait long until Abbey's hand was tightly wrapped around them. "Do you want to press the button?" he asked, and got an exuberant nod in reply.

After a quick explanation on which buttons were for which function, Artie gave Abbey the green light and she pressed down on the one that produced the walking motion. She waited patiently as he set his crutches in front of him, the action that signaled the machine to take the step.

Abbey let out an excited squeal of delight as she walked hand in hand with her brother. "There's a slightly faster mode and a function for stairs, up and..." Artie's words trailed off once he found himself eye to eye with Alicia. "Mom?"

Stifling her tears with a shake of her head, Alicia sniffled and looked her son up and down. "Why didn't you tell us about any of this?" she asked, gently running her hand over his arm.

"I just wanted it to be a surprise," he replied, shrugging sheepishly as his gaze fell back to the floor, "...to finally be able to do something you guys could be proud of."

Alicia's strangled gasp was far louder than the words Artie had just muttered. "Sweetheart...what did we do that would ever make you think we weren't proud of you?" she cried.

He didn't respond, just lifted his eyes enough to give her that "not you Mom" look that absolved her from harboring any guilt. Quinn caught not only the exchange, but also the remorseful look Art and quite possibly Andy were wearing, as well as the slight culpable pang she was feeling.

"Is that why you tried to join the football team?" The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she was speaking and Artie's head shot up in disbelief.

"Football team?" Alicia parroted incredulously. "Honey, what is _that_ all about?" If at all possible, Art's expression became more perplexed and Andy went as white as a sheet.

"Who told you about that?" Artie queried, acknowledging Quinn exclusively.

"Finn," Quinn revealed softly. "He was worried about you Artie...and honestly, so am I."

It cut like a knife that her words sounded so sincere. "Really?" he countered, unable to keep his emotions in check any longer...or his mouth shut. "Because you didn't seem all that worried when you ran off to be with Sam earlier."

"What?"

Her innocent plea was the twist of the metaphorical knife in his back. "Don't play dumb Quinn..."

"We were practicing for our duet..."

Their heated words tumbled over one another so fast that neither of them noticed Art move to release a crying Caroline from the restraints of her car seat and a frightened Abbey detach herself from Artie and cling tightly to her mother.

"Is that what you're calling it?" he retorted angrily, he'd had enough of these games already. "Or is that just code for covering up your cheating..."

"What? I'm not cheating on..."

"Right, so Tina just made up the story about you two sneaking around and making plans to meet each other when you know I wouldn't be around...," he shot back, shifting slightly on his crutches, "...and Santana..."

"Santana?" Quinn practically yelled, her eyes widening in shock. "How could you believe something the school's biggest slu...liar would say? She hates me Artie...and she'd do anything to bring me down..." The statements were rhetorical, and she wasn't about to give him any time to respond anyway...not when she was this mad...and it was obvious they were falling on deaf ears. "But that's all irrelevant because cheating is what I do best, right?"

Artie closed his eyes against the painful onslaught and squared his jaw. "I'm just an easy girl who has no moral code, or any problem cheating on the guy I love..." The last word nearly died in her throat and was immediately followed by a rush of tears. "Well I wasn't cheating on you Artie...and if you have to know, I was working on a special project with Sam...strictly platonic...as a surprise for you." The tears fell in earnest now. "He was teaching me how to play the guitar so I could sing you a song that reflected my true feelings for you...but I guess none of that really matters anymore..."

Artie continued to stare blankly at the spot Quinn had just vacated seconds ago. The sound of her hurried footsteps echoing loudly through his ears in time with his racing heart.

"Sweetie," Alicia cooed softly and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The only response was the painful bobbing of his throat. "You need to make this right."

His head turned slowly, eyes wide with disbelief. "She said she loved me Mom."

"She does Sweetie...very much," Alicia assured him after first sniffling back her tears, "And you love her too." Artie nodded slowly, as if just admitting that fact to himself. "Which is why you have to go upstairs and apologize for this huge misunderstanding."

"I, umm...," he trailed off, blinked a few times to reorient himself properly, then crossed his left hand over to his right wrist.

"Honey, maybe you should sit," Alicia suggested, a little leery of the machine holding her son up, and his ability to control it's actions in his current state of distracted shock.

"I'm fine Mom," he reassured casually before pressing the appropriate button down to get him walking again. "This thing is meant to be used on stairs."

Alicia's worried eyes locked with Art's. He tried to hide his disheartened expression from her and instead gave a small nod of encouragement. She flashed him a forced smile and set out after their son.

"Maybe you should use the lift," she suggested again, once they reached the base of the stairs.

"Really Mom, it's fine," Artie reiterated as he prepped for the climb, then looked over his shoulder and smiled, "I've been practicing stairs with this thing for weeks."

Alicia couldn't help feel a small pang of disappointment fill her chest from the fact that Artie didn't come to her about any of this. He usually talked with her about _everything_...

The whir of the machine snapped her back to reality and she instinctively placed a steadying hand under his arm. "Yes, but not on _these_ stairs," was the very pointed retort.

Artie bit back a grin as he began the slow and tedious process of ascending the stairs. Alicia followed beside, in complete awe of each and every step he took. It wasn't like she hadn't already done all the research on every single advancement ever made that could potentially improve her sons quality of life, and was very educated in the workings of this particular product...but to see it actually happening with her own two eyes, was almost more than she could handle.

Luckily, Alicia was able to contain her emotions until Artie was safely delivered to the second floor landing. "Are you going to be okay?" she whispered once they reached the closed door of Quinn's bedroom.

Artie nodded affirmatively, even thought his stomach was tying itself in knots. He could see the pooling of tears behind her eyes, and he knew why. "Mom, I'm sorry about what happened..."

"I know Sweetie," she cut in, cupping his cheek with her soft hand. "We'll talk about everything later...right now just go and make amends with Quinn." Alicia carefully pulled him into an embrace...which he returned to the best of his ability by shifting one hand from the grip of the crutch to the small of her back.

She couldn't hold back any longer...her son was standing, AND hugging her. A few tears streamed down her cheeks, before she broke the embrace to gently knock on Quinn's door.

"Thanks," Artie murmured as he took in a shuttering breath. The wait seemed like forever since there was no reply other than the soft click of the lock popping as the door creaked open.

It was clear Quinn had been crying...a lot. "Can I come in?" Artie whispered in askance.

Tears weren't the only thing covering her face, A myriad of emotions were etched deeply...sadness, anger, disbelief...Quinn briefly glanced over at Alicia, then nodded silently.

Alicia watched as Quinn slowly backed up and opened the door wider so Artie could enter. "I'll be right downstairs if you need me," she offered to both, before turning and leaving.

Artie walked to the middle of the room and stopped, expecting Quinn to follow behind him. But when she never came into his field of vision, he engaged the Re-walk again, this time for the sole purpose of completing the tedious task of turning around. He glanced over his other shoulder, and could see her walking up next to him.

Their eyes locked. "Quinn, I'm sorry..."

"Why don't you come and sit down," her soft, slightly shaky voice rang out over his.

Accepting her offer, Artie prepared to move again, and to his surprise, Quinn fell into step next to him...studying his every step. She must have been doing that before, he mused. Unfortunately, the confidence in his unique swagger waned, once they reached the bed.

Artie paused to contemplate his next move. He was lined up parallel to the bed, but alongside it, not in front of it...and with this machine, there was no magic button for stepping backward or turning your body.

Quinn must have noticed that too. "Do you want me to get your chair?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence that was intensifying with every passing second.

Artie looked up, and saw nothing but...okay, maybe there was still some sadness and regret in her eyes, but most of her expression was filled with pride and encouragement. "No, I'm good," he assured her, glancing back down at the floor so he could ensure proper foot placement...and tried not to die of embarrassment as he maneuvered his body until he was posterior, then carefully lowered himself onto the mattress.

"That thing is so awesome," she stated, still awestruck, as she took a seat next to him.

"Yeah, it is pretty cool," he concurred, surprisingly casual.

Quinn immediately noticed how he still had to rely on the crutches to keep him balanced because the mattress was so much higher than his normal seated height. "I wish you would have told me...," she started out, causing Artie to throw a sideways glance her way, "about this...and your suspicions..."

"I'm so sorry Quinn...," he interjected pleadingly.

"You're not the only one at fault here," she cut in, her tone understanding and sincere. Artie's eyes widened incredulously. "I should have never been sneaking around with Sam in the first place," she added apologetically, "If I had just been honest with you, maybe you would have never thought I was cheating...which is something I would never would Artie...you have to believe me..."

"I do...," he interjected pleadingly, as he shifted anxiously, "I just...God Quinn, you are the most beautiful, popular, amazing girl at our school...and I wear saddle shoes and sweater vests..." There was a pause and Quinn could see the slightest hint of moisture pooling behind his glasses. "This shouldn't be happening...I have a hard enough time believing that it's even real most days...and not just because I'm in a wheelchair...but because I'm obsessed with Angry Birds and my Mom still cuts my hair..."

"I love your hair cut," Quinn blurted the first thing that came to her mind. It was true and she smiled, but all Artie could do was look away, ashamed. "And I meant what I said downstairs," she cooed softly into his ear.

Artie flinched slightly and turned his head further, as if trying to get away...but with Quinn pressed up against his hip like she was and her arm draped over his shoulder, he was stuck.

Quinn crossed her other arm over and reached out for his face. His cheeks were wet. Something in her chest broke a little, but she didn't back down. Cupping the side of his face in her hand, she turned his head toward her and look deep into those brilliant blue eyes.

"I love you Artie."

She felt a slight resistance against her hand, that finally ended with Artie giving in and resting his forehead against hers...whispering those five soft words she'd been waiting so long to hear...

"I love you too Quinn."


	23. Chapter 23

_**An authors note...my deepest apologies for the delay in updating...end of summer is always my busiest time. I have to be honest, this was not the intended chapter(the upcoming chap was supposed to go here), but my muse thought we needed something to tie the two together...and this idea was born. I swear, all of my AN's could consist of nothing more than praise for you amazing readers, and it still wouldn't be enough to covey just how much I appreciate every single one of you. Hope you enjoy, and thanks again.**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

They sat there for a while, Quinn just holding Artie, and Artie letting her.

"Would you like me to help you out of this thing, so you can stretch out on the bed?," she offered softly after a few more minutes went by and Artie still hadn't shifted.

He glanced up at her slowly...apprehension covering every inch of his face.

"Please," Quinn whispered the gentle plea into his ear, as she gave his shoulder a slight squeeze of encouragement. It wasn't a surprise that Artie would be reluctant to shed himself of the device that gave him back that sense of freedom and mobility he'd lost so many years ago.

But Quinn feared it went much deeper than that.

Unsure of what to do next, mainly because she didn't want to knock him off balance, Quinn held him tight as she snuggled just a little bit closer. "As awesome as this thing is," she started out, running her hand along the brace attached to his thigh, "and as amazing as it is to see you walking with it...it doesn't change the way I feel about you."

Quinn began to slip the straps of the backpack that held the processor and battery off of his shoulders. Artie shifted his gaze sideways, but didn't resist. "Artie," she called out softly as she worked on removing the controller from his wrist. "You don't have to be able to walk for me to be proud of you, or proud to be your girlfriend...," she paused, lifting his chin with her free hand, "...I already am."

There was a minute or so of silence before Quinn slipped from the edge of the mattress to stand in front of him. She didn't say anything to him, just reached out for the right crutch first, then the left. Artie surrendered them easily, his arms now free to support him from behind. He knew what was coming next, and didn't protest when Quinn gently lifted his still encased legs onto the bed.

Artie aided her along by scooting himself backwards. "My shoes," he mumbled softy, his face tinging slightly with embarrassment. Quinn didn't seemed phased at all. She could see that the ankle hinge extended into his shoes, most likely attached to a foot support, or lift, much like his standard braces, and that they would have to be removed before anything else was.

To keep his mind off of the slight uncomfortableness he was feeling, Artie busied himself with unfastening the Velcro straps holding him into the contraption. He first worked on the large band across his torso, followed by the strong buckle securing his hips.

Artie's gaze shifted as he reached the strap around his right thigh. He watched as Quinn carefully untied his shoe, making sure to loosen the laces and stretch the sides before gingerly slipping it from his foot. Their eyes met and Quinn offered him the sweetest smile he'd ever seen...suddenly, the situation wasn't nearly as awkward.

They both reached the knee straps at the same time. Quinn let out a soft giggle as she took the side closest to her and left the other to Artie. "Okay, how are we supposed to do this?" she asked a beat later, hoping to avoid harming the expensive device, or Artie, during the removal process.

Artie glanced down and twisted his lips contemplatively. "This is probably why they had me transfer out while I was sitting in a chair," he quipped, but deep down he felt the dread building...he really hated this part. He knew those feelings were somewhat foolish, especially considering this was Quinn, his girlfriend...the girlfriend who had, mere minutes ago, declared her love for him.

"Would it be easier if I got one?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder, and beyond her door, out to where she knew both the folding chair Artie used for transfers and his spare chair, were located.

Artie followed her gaze and shook his head. Neither option seemed all that appealing at the moment. But seeing as he was already in the bed, and unstrapped, he swallowed back his reluctance and simply reached down to grip the leg of his pants.

Quinn watched, waiting patiently for Artie to maneuver his legs to the side of the apparatus, before offering, "Lift up so I can slide it out from underneath."

His eyes shot up in surprise. Not for the bold command, or the mortifying fact that she was asking him to lift up his ass so she could remove something from underneath it, but for the casualness of her tone...as if having to help your boyfriend who couldn't walk, out of a machine that was able to do it for him, was the most natural thing in the world.

Artie supposed for Quinn, it might just be.

"There," she quipped satisfactorily as she propped the device up against the wall.

"Thanks," Artie returned softly, making quick work of trying to get his legs to look less floppy while Quinn's back was turned. "What?" he asked self-consciously when he finally looked back up to find her staring and smiling at him.

Quinn shrugged innocently, but the smirk remained. "I'm just marveling at the fact that I finally got you in my bed."

Rendered momentarily speechless by the suggestiveness of that comment, Artie took the time to formulate an equally playful response...but in the end, opted for a more witty approach. "Well technically it was my bed for ten years..."

"I don't mind sharing," Quinn cut in, grinning expectantly.

Artie smiled back at her, appreciatively at first...until he lowered his slightly timid gaze to notice he'd ended up right in middle of the bed when he transferred...leaving no room for her...which, if her flirty smirk and jutted hip were any indication, is actually what she was implying. "Oh right...sorry," he stammered, and quickly began shifting to his left.

Quinn helped the process along by gently nudging his legs with hers, as she climbed up next to him. She shifted a little, until she found that comfortable spot, then rested her head against his strong chest and let out a contented sigh.

A wave of calm passed over him, followed by the return of the guilt. Artie tightened his hold around her, and pressed a soft kiss to her head, "I'm so sorry Quinn..."

"Stop," she cooed, running her hand down the side of his face and bringing it down to meet hers. "You've already apologized, and so have I..."

"So what now..," he interjected questioningly, "..we're just supposed to forget it ever happened?"

"No," Quinn replied soothingly, smiling as she scooted up further on the bed so that they were face to face. "We're supposed to learn from it...make sure we never make the same mistakes again...remember to always be honest with one another...to never keep secrets or hide how we're feeling..."

She felt him shift next to her and looked up to find that same reluctant, almost apologetic look, still on his face. "Artie...?"

"I'm...," he trailed off, catching himself before he apologized again, and let out a heavy sigh. "I...um...ugh, why is this so hard?"

"It's not, you're making it hard," Quinn countered soothingly. Confused, he shot her a sideways glance. "I know you're insecure and self-conscious about certain things sometimes, but you don't need to be with me...," she continued, maintaining her firm but gentle tone. "You need to believe me when I say that I love you, and trust that I mean it."

Artie knew she was right, and while he did trust and believe in _her_...getting past _all_ of his issues, would forever be a work in progress. "God, I love you so much, Quinn," he muttered, burying his face in her neck.

Quinn smiled as she wrapped her arms a little tighter around his shoulders. "I know you do," she replied, without a hint of hesitation or doubt, and rested her cheek on top of his head. "And I love you too."

Letting the slight sliver of a smile break through, Artie shifted again, just in time to see a small figure appear in the doorway. "Abbey?"

"Mom said dinner's almost ready," the little girl muttered, her tone soft and meek...and very un-Abbey like.

Artie immediately noticed her reluctance to enter the room, how cautiously she was looking at him...how that gaze shifted the moment his eyes locked with hers.

The exchange wasn't lost on Quinn either, nor was the less than subtle hint the little girl was dropping with just one glance...or four as the case may be. Abbey's eyes quickly darted from Quinn, to the Re-walk, to Artie, and then back again.

"I'll go get your chair," Quinn stated, turning to Artie before slipping from the bed. He nodded appreciatively and watched her walk from the room.

Quinn flashed Abbey a smile in passing, which was immediately returned by the child, but Artie could tell it never quite reached her eyes...and it broke his heart a little to see her this way. "Hey, come here Squirt," he implored, patting the mattress next to his left hip.

Abbey was slightly hesitant at first, but eventually honored his request, and sat down beside him. "Did you guys make up?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. It seemed she needed verbal confirmation to completely validate the visual display of affection that had taken place just moments ago...especially after what had gone on downstairs.

Artie nodded and Abbey let out a breathy "good", before continuing. "I was worried you two were going to break up, and I don't want you to do that," she stated somberly, lifting her eyes slowly, to meet her brothers, "...and not just because I know it would make you sad, but because if that happened, Quinn would probably move out and take Caroline with her...and I don't want them to leave because they're part of our family now...and I really love them."

Abbey's breathless rant trailed off at the end, making Artie's chest clench tightly. Taking her small hand in his, big brother gave a comforting squeeze. "I don't know what's going to happen between me and Quinn, Abs," he started out, soft and gentle...like he always was, "but I do know that no matter what, her and Caroline will always be a part of this family." Abbey's wide smile rivaled his own, as he added, "...and I really love them too."

A small turned into a giggle, and she leaned in to wrap her arms around her brothers shoulders. With that hug, Artie felt a heavy load being lifted off of him. "I'm sorry I scared you, Squirt," he whispered into the top of her hair and gently squeeze her tighter.

Abbey broke the embrace, sat back and shrugged, looking hard at him...her expression harbored more disappointment, than fear. "That was the maddest I've ever seen you Artie," she muttered innocently, "...even madder than that time Andy made me fall off my bike..."

Artie's mind drifted back to that day, more than four years ago...he'd never been so mad. Abbey was just learning to ride a two-wheeler, when Andy came flying around the corner on his, clipped the back wheel of her pink pony bike, and sent her crashing to the ground. The elder insisted it was an accident. Artie, who had witnessed the whole thing, knew it wasn't. Words were exchanged,and that quickly escalated into heated shoving.

Looking back on it now, Artie wondered if that all of that anger he had exhibited then, truly stemmed from Andy's recklessness...or from his own feelings of inadequacy at not being able to do anything to prevent it in the first place...much like his current situation. "I wasn't actually mad at Quinn, Abbey," he began to explain, "just disappointed and upset about somethings...some of which turned out to not even be true. That's why it's always best to be honest with people and try talking things out first..."

"You can always talk to me," she interjected softly, with all of the innocence of her eight years, "I might not have any good answers, but I can still listen."

The offer was so heartfelt and genuine, it nearly made Artie's eyes tear up again. "I'd like that," he replied, tugging gently on her hand to beckon her closer. Abbey eagerly obliged and scooted further onto the bed. "Maybe we can go for a walk later...just the two of us..."

Abbey's gaze shifted to follow Artie's. "It can go outside?" Her almost incredulously hopeful plea made him smile.

He glanced from the Re-walk propped against the wall, then back at his sister. "Sure," he replied with a playful grin, "as long as we're careful and go slow."

Abbey's eyes went wide with awe. Artie was_ never_ allowed outside with his cumbersome braces and crutches. "And I can really hold your hand?"

Her excitement was infectious, and Artie positively beamed as he pulled his baby sister in for another hug; just then noticing Quinn standing in the doorway with his chair...and tears in her eyes.

...

A soft rap on the door broke his concentration. "I've got your laundry," Alicia announced softly, before stepping into the room.

"Hey Mom," Artie greeted, looking up from his text book. "Thanks," he added, smiling as he pushed away from his desk in order to accept his delivery.

Alicia smiled back, and handed him a pile from the stack she was carrying.

Artie was a little surprised when she gave him only half. He was quite capable of putting his own clothes away, and knew his mother was well aware of that small fact...but he could also tell by just looking at her, that she was trying to find a reason to extend her visit so they could talk. Not that she_ ever_ needed a reason to do that.

"How was your walk with Abbey?" she asked casually, as she made her way over to his closet.

"Great," he replied, even though Abbey had already answered that exact same question, with the exact same response, the minute they returned from the walk. "I mean it was a little awkward at first," Artie quickly amended, but remained smiling at the memory, "but we got the hang of it pretty quick." There was a short pause while he turned to face her. "Thanks for letting us go Mom."

Alicia's smile widened to match his and she gave a small nod. Even if there were words to covey how amazing it was to see her son and daughter walking hand in hand down the sidewalk, in front of the house, Alicia knew they'd only induce another onslaught of tears, so she simply turned back and continued to hang the rest of Artie's freshly washed and pressed shirts in his closet. "You and Quinn were both quiet at dinner," she went on to point out, as soon as she was able to get her emotions in check, "everything okay with you two now?"

"Fine," Artie replied casually...grinning, not only at the truthfulness of that answer, but at the feeling it gave him, knowing he wasn't imagining any of it. Catching his mother's incredulous expression from across the room, a shy blush began to creep up his neck. "Better than fine, actually" he quickly amended.

Alicia's expression softened, to the point of almost crumbling. She quickly crossed the distance between them, and sat down on the bed, closest to his dresser. "This is everything Dad and I have always wanted for you...," she began, trailing off when her voice cracked and she needed to clear the returning emotion from her throat, "...a chance at happiness...a chance to be loved the way you deserve to be loved..."

"Mom," Artie called, reaching out for her hand. She was crying now, and he hated to see her cry. "I am happy, and I am loved," he continued, his tone soft and comforting, "you guys show me that every day..."

"Then why would you think you needed to be able to walk or play football, to make us proud?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, or even questioning...just matter of fact...and thick with emotion.

Artie lowered his head regretfully. "It kind of started with it being about you guys...but then it became more about me...I just wanted to do it again...to be_ able_ again..."

Alicia scooted closer and reached out for his hand. "Honey, our dream for you kids has always been to give you every chance possible to fulfill your own wishes...whatever they may be," she countered softly, smiling as she gave a gentle squeeze. Her eyes darted between him and the Re-walk, and she let out a small sigh.

"I know how much this opportunity means to you. Honestly, the first time I heard about this amazing piece of machinery, I couldn't wait until the day you'd be able to benefit from it...if for nothing else, then just for the great many ways it could improve your overall health," Alicia confessed tenderly, and cupped his cheek with her other hand. Her eyes teared up again and her chin trembled slightly as she ran her thumb over his cheek. "And today, to actually see you using it ...climbing up those stairs, taking your little sister for a walk down the block...it really was like witnessing some kind of miracle..."

Without hesitation, Artie wrapped his strong arms around his mothers shoulders, and let her sob into his chest. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this Mom," he apologized soothingly, "but I'm glad you guys were all able to see it." There was a short pause, "...even if I didn't go about getting it in the right way," followed by a soft sigh, "which is why I should probably return it tomorrow..."

Artie's words trailed off once he felt his mother began to pull away from him. He watched as she sat back and wiped her eyes, and was just about to add something to his previous statement, when she beat him to it.

"Well, it's already here...," Alicia began casually, glancing between her son and the miracle machine again, "...I don't see any harm in keeping it for another few days, since you have to go back for physio on Saturday..."

"Really?" Artie gasped incredulously, eyes widening when his mother smiled at him and nodded, "Awesome." He chuckled, then lifted his eyes to meet hers, once more. "Maybe tomorrow night, if you're not too busy, we could take a walk together?" Artie quipped playfully.

Alicia's eyes instantly teared up, for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. "Oh Sweetheart...I'd love that," she cooed, leaning forward to embrace him again, when she caught herself...or rather caught sight of the prescription bottle and cup of water sitting on his bedside table. "Are you sure that wont be too much for you?"

Artie followed her gaze, then shook his head dismissively and smiled. "It'll be fine," he assured her with a brilliant grin. "Taking half a tab at night, regardless, and a whole one on physio days, seems to be doing the trick."

Alicia couldn't hide the slight frown of disappointment marring her soft features. She berated herself for not talking with him sooner about the spasms that had recently increased in both frequency and intensity...instead of just chalking it up to the stress of beginning a new school year.

"Just don't over do it," she intoned warily.

Artie was just about to reassure her with words, when the urge came over him, and he pulled her into another embrace, instead. "I love you Mom."

Alicia let out a small chuckle and relaxed into the hug. "I love you too, Baby," she replied, holding him tighter as she gently ran her hand up and down his back.

"Hope I'm not interrupting..." The voice was accompanied by a soft knock on the door frame.

Alicia released Artie and turned to her husband, smiling. "We were just saying goodnight."

"Mind if I do the same?," Art quipped playfully.

Artie didn't miss the slightly apologetic undertones...or the fact that his father had already called out goodnight to him as he passed the open door of the office on his way to his room.

Alicia stood, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Artie's head, and reminding him to, "Get some rest", before passing Art on her way out. She offered him an encouraging smile and soft pat on the arm.

"What are you working on Ace?"

The abrupt question caught Artie off guard. "Um...laundry," he answered, matter-of-fact, but immediately backpedaled when he looked up from the pile of clothes on his lap, to see that his father's gaze had fallen on his open textbook. "Oh, English assignment. It's not due 'til Tuesday, but I wanted to get a head start on the reading part," he quickly amended.

Artie could tell his father was somewhat preoccupied, and the small, wordless nod he gave as a response, was just confirmation. There was another moment of uncomfortable silence, before Art spoke again. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," he started, the usual lightness in his voice, returning, "Those two projects you helped me on? Both offers went through. The revamp starts next month and the new construction breaks ground in spring."

"That's awesome," Artie exclaimed, thrilled with the knowledge that he might have actually helped his Dad and his firm, land two new, very profitable, accounts.

"Yeah...," Art supplied, grinning, "...and there a couple of ADA reno's coming up that I could use your opinion on." Artie's smile almost instantly faded, something his father couldn't help but notice. "But if you're too busy, or..."

"No Dad...it's fine," Artie cut in dismissively, though his tone didn't hold much conviction either way.

Taking a step away from the desk, and turning to face his son, Art took in a heavy breath. "I'll understand if you don't want to..."

"No, I do Dad," he reiterated quickly, then hesitated. "I just...," there was another slight pause, followed by a drawn out sigh. "I really want to find something we could do together or talk about, that doesn't involve building accessibility or ADA guidelines." Artie lowered his gaze to his hands, wringing in his lap. "Sports is that_ thing_ for you and Andy...drawing is your thing with Abbey...we don't have a_ thing_ Dad..."

"That why you wanted to join the football team?"

There it was, the question that represented the metaphorical giant pink elephant in the room, the one Quinn briefly touched upon, the one his mother was too scared to ask outright...the one that had been playing on repeat in the back of his head for weeks.

Artie kept his gaze fixed on his hands.

"I may not know a lot about music, other than what I like, and the few random facts I've learned throughout the years," Art went on to explain, "but I know talent when I see it. Watching you perform out on that stage, doing what you love to do, amazes me just as much as seeing your brother hit a home run, or your sister dance. And I definitely don't know the slightest thing about ballet, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the art."

Artie eyes flickered upward, and his lips twitched slightly. His fathers heartfelt declaration touched him deeply, but the thing that sparked the biggest reaction within him, was the utterance of the word art. It started as an inside joke between the two, that when someone used the word in their presence, either, or both would respond with a "what", no matter the situation...maybe it was small in comparison, but it was definitely their _thing_.

Lifting his gaze the rest of the way up, Artie could see his father was on the same exact page.

"Look Artie," Art started out, without an ounce of reservation, as he sat down on the edge of the mattress to be eye level with his son, "if you want to make me proud, then just keep being the person that you are...because nothing in this world makes me more proud than being your father."

A lump of emotion filled his throat. He almost didn't care that his eyes were rapidly filling with tears, wasn't really worried about looking weak...just accepted the invitation of his father's open arms and smiled. "Thanks Dad."

_**ANx2...Sorry for the slightly cheesy ending. I'm blaming it all on my muse...and Megan;) As of this post, I have 191 reviews...can we make it to 200?  
**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**An authors note...Because of all of you wonderful, loyal readers, I surpassed my goal by three reviews...and for that I am so grateful. So, as a reward for your kindness and unwavering support, I'm giving you an extra long chapter, with plenty of fluff(and a moderate amount of angst:P). You're welcome;)...Enjoy!  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Quinn and Artie returned to school the next day, stronger and happier than ever...much to Santana's obvious dismay.

The gasp of surprise Artie made after Quinn flung herself into his lap right there in the middle of the hallway, made her giggle...but not nearly as much as the look of shock he was sporting when she began to devour his face.

"What are you doing?" he asked breathlessly, once they'd broke apart, and come up for air.

Quinn smirked playfully. "If it's a show she's looking for, then it's a show she's going to get."

Artie's gaze drifted over to where Quinn's had settled...to find the offending Cheerio leaning up against a wall of lockers, staring daggers at them. "So this little public display of affection is all just an act to get back at Santana?"

He didn't sound angry, but the accusation still stung, and she frowned. "Not entirely," Quinn countered, wrapping her arms tighter around his shoulders. "I'm in love with my boyfriend and not afraid to show it...," she continued, very pointedly. "If people have a problem with that, then that's their issue, not mine...but if they're going to stare, then I say, why not give them something to stare at?"

A sheepish grin, accompanied by a slight blush, began to spread across Artie's face. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"Well, you've only told me about fifteen times today...," Quinn quipped back, feigning innocence.

Artie's smile widened as he rested his head on her shoulder and let out a perfectly contented sigh. "Here's number sixteen, then."

Quinn moved in to capture his lips one more time. "I love you too Artie," she replied, more sincere than he'd ever heard it, and gingerly stood from his lap. "Now get to class...," she added with a soft giggle and a wave, "...see you in Glee."

...

The rest of the day passed quicker than expected, and before either of them knew it, Quinn and Artie were happily sitting beside one another in the choir room.

"Okay guys, we're down to out last two duet pairs...Quinn and Sam, and Rachel and Matt," Mr. Schuester announced to start off the class. "Are either of you ready to perform..."

"I'm sorry Mr. Schue," Rachel interrupted, "but to be properly prepared to perform together, Matt and I will need, at the very least, two more weeks of extensive rehearsing..."

"Um Rachel," Will called out over her rambling, "the assignment is due tomorrow."

"Well yes, I know that," the songbird countered, just as pointedly, "but like I said..."

"Sam and I are ready Mr. Schue," Quinn was the next to interject, if for nothing else, then just to get Rachel to stop blabbering.

"We are?" the blond boy asked incredulously.

Quinn let out a soft giggle, then looked from her partner to her boyfriend, and nodded. "I'm definitely ready."

"Okay then...great...let's hear it."

"William?"

At the sound of his name being called, Mr. Schuester glanced over his shoulder to see Principal Figgins standing in the doorway. "Can I please speak to you?" the school's administrator added authoritatively.

Will glanced back at his awaiting class, "I'll just be a minute."

You could hear a pin drop inside the choir room. "What do you think is going on?" Tina asked aloud, after watching Mr. Schue leave with the principal.

"I don't know Girl," Mercedes returned saucily, "but judging by all the secrecy, I'd say something big."

Across the room, Sam sat frozen. "Are you sure you're ready?" he whispered to Quinn, eyes darting skeptically between her and Artie. She nodded affirmatively. "That one_ song_ we've been practicing?" he reiterated, unaware that the _song_ he was referring to, was no longer a surprise.

Quinn let out another tiny giggle. "Yes, _that_ song," she returned, just as emphatically, then glanced over and smiled at Artie. He was just about to respond, when in marched the rest of the varsity football team.

"So this is what the ladies lounge looks like on the inside," Strando quipped contemptuously.

"It's the choir room," Sam snapped back, jumping up from his seat, as did the rest of the teams Glee Club members. "Now put up your fist because you and I are gonna do some dancing."

"I got this Sam," Finn cut in, and stepped between the two.

Artie knew things were bad between the two groups, but this was bordering on ridiculous.

"Coach Beiste told us to come," Karofsky grumbled, "where is she?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the coach made her presence known. "Watch out," she ordered, pushing her way through the mass of football players. "Okay, everyone have a seat."

Mr. Schuester wasn't far behind.

"Alright New Directions, let's give a warm welcome to the newest members of Glee Club."

"What?"

"NO!"

The outcry was unanimous. Nobody, on either side, wanted this to happen.

"Hell to the no Mr. Schue," Mercedes balked the loudest, "...are you..."

"Are you serious Mr. Schue?" Finn asked over her. "These are the guys who almost drowned Artie in slushy and picked on Kurt so bad, he's talking about transferring."

All eyes shifted from the boy in the wheelchair, to the gay kid, until the rooms resident diva, spoke up. "There is no way I'm sharing the choir room with a known bigot and obvious homophobe," Rachel declared, with a pointed flip of her hair for emphasis.

"I don't disagree with you guys," Will tried to assuage them. "I've talked to Coach Beiste about it, and she and I both agree that the kind of bullying that David does, is born out of ignorance. Having him in here, as difficult as it may be for us, is an opportunity to show him, and the rest of the guys, that Glee Club is kind of cool. Let's find some common ground..."

"All of you guys are going to be in this Glee Club for one week, no exceptions, starting today," Shannon interjected impatiently.

"She's bluffing," Dave countered dismissively, hoping to ease the anxiety of his fellow team members. "This weekend is the Homecoming game...without us she has no team."

"_With_ you I have no team," she shouted angrily. "You guys gotta find some way to come together or we're gonna get our asses kicked from here to next Tuesday finds a saddlebag of buckwheat."

That comment both confused and angered Finn. "Do you even have any idea what we do in here?" he asked the jocks incredulously.

"No, none of them do," Will answered for the offenders. "We have to show them," he continued, scanning the room. "Quinn, Sam...you guys are up next to sing your duet...would you mind sharing it with everyone?"

The pair both nodded, then rose from their seats and walked to the center of the room. Sam flashed Quinn an encouraging smile as he offered the neck of the guitar to her...she hadn't quite mastered the art of strumming solo yet. "We're going to sing the song Lucky, by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat," he announced casually.

"But before we begin, I'd first like to dedicate both the song and it's lyrics to my boyfriend," Quinn added, smiling sweetly at Artie.

As they played, Artie's smile widened, and his cheeks flushed. Pointed glances were exchanged, especially during certain parts of the song. Artie tried to keep his focus on Quinn and ignore the playfully teasing smirks from his fellow Glee Club members, as well as the disgusted glare he was getting from Karofsky and some of the other football players.

The performance obviously hadn't left the impression Will and Shannon were hoping for. If anything, having to sit through it, and the subsequent side project duet sung by Puck and Rachel, only made the bullies more irritated.

"Can we go now?" Strando groaned as if in physical pain.

"Well, what we usually do next is give your classmates some positive feedback on what you enjoyed about their performances," Will explained casually.

"Well I thought the girl with the Mohawk had a pretty voice," Azimio quipped teasingly.

In return, Puck glared daggers at him.

Then Karofsky gave a malicious chuckle. "But that first song should have probably been titled Unlucky, because honestly, anyone who's dating that..."

Suddenly, there was an acoustic guitar wielding, Mohawked football player, lunging at the offending group. "You wanna insult me? Go ahead," Puck yelled back as shoving ensued. "But you insult my baby Momma or my baby Goddaddy, and I..."

"Puck," Artie called out haltingly,"Dude, it's okay...he's just jealous."

"Jealous of _you_?" Dave snorted incredulously.

"Well, I am dating the smartest, kindest, most beautiful, and most popular senior girl at this school," Artie countered pointedly, then smirked slightly, before giving a contemplative pause. "Um, tell me again...who's your date for Homecoming?"

The room fell almost silent. Karofsky stood frozen, stunned...no one had ever embarrassed him like that. He lunged to retaliate, but with Coach Beiste and Mr. Schuester standing between the two groups, there was nothing left for him to do but let out a guttural grunt and storm out of the room.

...

The class had been dismissed not long after the incident, and another long winded speech on the seriousness of bullying. Artie and Quinn were one of the last to leave, due to the fact they were finalizing their Homecoming plans with Tina and Mike.

"What are you looking for?"Artie asked when Quinn began to get anxious while rifling through her purse.

"My keys," she answered, reaching into her messenger bag. "Do you have them?"

"No," he replied chuckling, but checked his pockets and backpack anyway. "I know you didn't lock them in the car because you had them this morning..."

"I'll go check my locker," Quinn announced over him.

Artie watched as she hesitated slightly. He knew it would be faster for her to use the stairs since her locker was located on the opposite end of the hall from the elevator, so he offered to meet her outside. Quinn smiled and placed a soft kiss to his cheek, before running up the middle staircase. Grinning after her, Artie pivoted and began to make his way down the empty hall. It was later than their usual dismissal, and he knew Andy would probably be out by Quinn's car, waiting for them.

"I told you not to screw with me Loser," Karofsky's voice rang out as his chair screeched to a halt.

Artie's hands reflexively clenched the rims. He pulled hard, and despite Dave's hold, spun himself around. "Yet you're allowed to constantly screw with me and my friends?" he asked in challenge.

"I'm serious Dude," Dave warned menacingly, "you better never embarrass me in front my guys like that again."

"Just stating a fact, _Dude_," Artie delivered the biting retort. He'd had enough of this crap. "Which shouldn't have even bothered you...unless you have feelings for my girlfriend," he paused for a moment, then gave a small shrug, "...or something to hide?"

Artie didn't even have time to react. Before he knew it, he was hurling toward a wall of lockers. Unable to stop in time, the left side of his body took the brunt of the impact, and he was tipped precariously on the front of his chair...half of him dangling out of his chair. He took a moment to catch his breath, then pressed his hands against the locker, and righted himself properly.

Anticipating a second hit, Artie quickly pushed aside the little voice in the back of his head, telling him to check his legs and feet as soon as possible, for any damage. It wasn't exactly high on the priority list though, especially since he assumed, from the metallic ping that preceded the thud, that the chair had hit first. But the hit never came. In fact, the next thing Artie noticed, was the sound of retreating footfalls, and the echoing boom of Dave Karofsky's voice. "You didn't see a thing."

Glancing up, Artie was surprised to find that warning was not directed toward him, but for the person standing at the other end of the hall...his brother Andy. Their eyes met, and they held each others gaze for what seemed like hours, but in reality was mere seconds.

"Oh good, you're both here," Quinn's voice rang out, as she happily dangled the keys in front of Artie's face. "I found them."

"Great," he replied hastily, "Let's go."

His dismissive tone was not lost on her...neither was the slight flush of his cheeks, or the evasiveness of Andy's gaze. "Are you okay?" she asked Artie exclusively, though her eyes darted suspiciously between the brothers.

"Fine," he reiterated, and pushed off quickly for the exit.

...

At the dinner table, neither Artie nor Andy, spoke about what had transpired in the school hallway earlier. In fact, Artie was so busy talking about the plans he and Quinn had for Homecoming, he'd honestly forgot all about the hit he took into the lockers. That was, until he tried getting himself strapped into the Re-walk.

This process was generally, at the very least, a two person job. So Artie had enlisted the help of one extremely eager volunteer...Abbey...under the direct supervision of Alicia, of course. He carefully transferred to the chair the device was resting on, then made sure everything was lined up properly, and got to work on securing his legs into the braces.

"Not too tight Sweetie," Alicia delicately instructed her daughter.

"I know," Abbey replied casually, but kept her attention fixed to the strap she was fastening, "Artie showed me how to yesterday."

Mother and son shared a quick meaningful glance before Alicia crouched down to help Artie with his shoes. It was reverse process of removal...where shoes were now the last item to go on...but still required someone to help.

"Can I tie them?" Abbey asked both her mother and brother at the same time.

Artie let out a playful chuckle. "Sure thing Squirt."

"Just make sure to double knot," Alicia couldn't help but add.

Abbey nodded dutifully, and quickly, but carefully finished tying the laces.

"All set?" Alicia asked, giving Artie the once over to make sure everything was in place.

"Yep," he replied, positioning his crutches in front of him.

"I wanna push it," Abbey squealed excitedly as she motioned to the device strapped to her brothers wrist.

Letting out another breath of laughter, Artie nodded and allowed her to press the button, that allowed him to stand.

It was a relatively simple concept...use your crutches for balance, brace your upper body and let the machine lift you to your feet. Only this time it didn't go quite as planned, and Artie began to pitch forward. Luckily, Alicia was there to catch him. "Are you okay?" she gasped out, obviously concerned...and a little frightened.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Artie dismissed, his tone harboring apology, embarrassment, and slight surprise. "This happens sometimes," he added, which was mostly true, though it hadn't actually happened to him since he learned how to distribute his weight properly.

"You sure?" Alicia pressed, but all she got in return was quick nod and the whir of the machine as Artie moved forward.

"Maybe me and Quinn can take Caroline for a walk too," Abbey suggested once they'd reached the foyer. "Don't leave without us."

Quinn was quick to catch the hidden implication in that seemingly innocent suggestion. "Abbey, maybe we should let Mom and Artie have this walk," she reasoned logically.

"But you didn't get a turn yet," the little girl countered in protest.

Quinn couldn't help but smile. "Artie promised me a walk tomorrow, and I intend on collecting that debt right after school," she explained, sharing a conspiratorial smile with her boyfriend. "We can still take Caroline to park...going in the opposite direction."

Surprisingly, Abbey didn't look as disappointed as Quinn thought she would. But why should she? She was still getting to go to the park.

Art met the group at the front door to assist in getting Artie out of the house and down to the sidewalk...the same as he had done, the evening before. The slight slope and uneven footing of the ramp and driveway, made it difficult for Artie to navigate safely. While this machine was wondrous...it was meant to be used on relatively flat, even ground, or steps, such as standard stairs and curbs.

It was a painstakingly slow process, but they managed to get down to the sidewalk, and with only one close call. Alicia bit back her concern that sweat was beading at his hairline, and he was breathing a little harder than she thought he should be...she couldn't remember it taking this much effort for him yesterday.

"You okay?" she asked, then motioned to a small bottle of water she'd brought with...'just in case'.

"Yeah," he panted in reply, but smiled as he reached out to accept the drink.

Alicia was fully prepared to aid him in taking a sip, and was slightly taken aback when his hand released the grip of his crutch and he lifted the bottle to his own lips...all while balancing on just one crutch. Of course she knew it was the machine that was actually keeping her son upright, but that didn't make the feat any less miraculous in her eyes.

Artie handed the bottle back to his mother, blushing slightly at the look of awe she was giving him. "Ready?" he asked, trying to remain casual. The teary-eyed nod he'd received in return, not helping that attempt any. Artie simply grinned, "Well shall we then?"

The first few steps were taken in silence, save for the whir of the machine. Artie tried to ignore the unnatural pull he was detecting in his gait, just like he'd ignore the stiffness in his left leg when he was trying to get it fastened into the brace, and the slight difficulty he had, just getting into the standing position.

He'd hoped his mother wouldn't notice either, but only made it three more steps when she stopped abruptly to ask, "Honey, are you sure everything is alright? I can't put my finger on it, but something seems a little off tonight."

Artie felt it too, but dismissed her concern with, "It's fine Mom...probably just the battery or something..."

"I left it plugged in all day, so it should be fully charged...," she interjected quickly, and without waiting for any type of response to that, suggested, "maybe I should text Dad to pick..."

"No Mom, really," Artie cut in this time, almost pleadingly. He knew how much this meant to her...it meant just as much to him. "Let's just keep going."

Alicia's concerned expression immediately softened and she gave a still slightly skeptical, yet complying nod. "Do I get to hold your hand too?" she playfully asked a beat later. It was meant to be a teasing little quip, with Abbey's exuberant chanting, "It was so awesome Mom" from last night, still at the forefront of her mind...but when Artie flexed his fingers out and smiled at her expectantly, Alicia couldn't help but oblige.

He was a tactile child, his hands always busy. Soft baby hands, forever tangled in their mother's hair. Chubby toddler hands sharing that prized Cheerio with anyone within arms length. Skilled pre-school hands trying their best to color within the lines. Loving little boy hands that never turned down a chance to clasp around another...hers.

But all too soon, Alicia was jarred from her retrospection...literally. The Re-walk stalled, lurching Artie forward, until his mother could wrap her arms around his waist and steady him. Luckily for both of them, she was close enough to do so.

The near miss wasn't lost on Alicia, nor was the fact that without her assistance, Artie would not be able to stay balanced, or upright at all. She didn't even have check to know the problem wasn't a malfunction in the machine, but a spasm...and from the look of it, a pretty bad one.

"Has this ever happened to you before?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from wavering like her insides were.

"Never this bad," Artie mumbled, his tone an equal mix of mortification and disappointment, "but I think I can make it..."

"No," Alicia gasped incredulously as she glanced down at his leg, contracting powerfully against the restraints. She briefly considered loosening the straps, but they'd both been witness to spasms of this magnitude knocking patients completely out of their chairs, and knew one wrong move could cause them both to tumble to the ground...doing more harm than good. "I'm calling your father."

The fact that Artie didn't protest only furthered Alicia's suspicions that he was as distressed as she was. "Can you come pick us up? Almost at the corner. No...just hurry...please. Yeah. Okay. Bye."

It didn't take but about two minutes for Art to arrive, armed with the van, Artie's chair, and...Andy. "Okay, how do we do this?" he asked by way of greeting, as he pushed the chair over to his son, then rushed to relieve Alicia.

"I just need to line up with my chair and press the button to sit..."

"No Honey," Alicia's voice rang out in warning, "you can't force that knee bent..."

"Then how?" he pleaded, sounding more desperate than anything. Both his strength and his patience were waning, and he began to wonder how much support his own arms were giving, and how much was coming from his father.

Alicia's expression turned slightly sympathetic, which was only a slight improvement from the near total panic she was trying to hide mere minutes before. She reached out to take the crutches from him. "Let Dad and Andy help you down onto the grass..."

"Mom, there are kids out here," Artie pointed out self-consciously, while trying to avoid eye contact with anyone other than her...though he did catch a brief glimpse of his brother standing off to the side, staring.

"Then into the van," Alicia then suggested, even though that could prove to be problematic and the cramped quarters were less than ideal, "...because that thing needs to come off right now."

Lowering his head in defeat, Artie, albeit reluctantly, but with no other viable option, let his father and brother lift him from under the arms, and carry him the few awkward feet to the open van...where they very carefully moved him inside.

Alicia followed closely behind, pushing his chair with one hand while the other carried his crutches. She was relieved to see that Art had already thought to stow away the middle row seats to make more room, and climbed in after them.

Artie was semi sprawled out/propped up against the bench seat in back. Art was on his left, his arm still pinned behind his sons back. Alicia got to work on the straps, freeing his left...the offending leg...first. She had to plan out her next course of action carefully. "Andy, I need you to help lift Artie up a little, then...see that transmitter your brother has on his ..."

"What?" the younger boy asked distractedly, breaking his gaze from the wildly trembling leg when his name was called.

"Just press the stupid button and don't drop me," Artie snapped impatiently. He hated feeling helpless, even more so than being gawked at.

Andy ignored his brother, which was the norm, and quickly mirrored his father's actions, per his mother's instruction. Soon enough, the machine slowly began to collapse to the seated position, during which Art and Andy were able to ease Artie into. It took a few more minutes, and a bit of ingenuity to extricate the rest of him.

Once free, Alicia held out the open bottle of prescription muscle relaxants and handed Artie the rest of water from before. She shook out one pill, locked eyes and waited for his permission before releasing a second. It usually had to be pretty bad for him to give in that willingly.

With a double dose of medicine bound to kick in shortly, Art was preparing to get his family home, when Alicia suddenly let out a gasp. "Honey, what happened to your knee?"

Artie, who had just let his head slip back against the seat and his eyes flutter shut, startled to attention. He looked down at his leg, somewhat surprised by what he saw. The tremors seemed to be slowing slightly in intensity, but the knee was purple and grotesquely swollen...average size for someone of say, Andy's stature, but about three times the size for Artie.

"I um...kind of slammed into a locker today...," he answered, purposely leaving off the 'got' that should have preceded the slammed. "Guess I hit harder than I thought."

Alicia was too concerned for his well being to be suspicious of that explanation. "We need to get this checked out right away," she demanded as she jumped into high gear and turned to Art. "I'll drop you and Andy off at home..."

Artie knew exactly where he was headed...on a trip to the emergency room.

...

**_ANx2...OMG that was long:P I hope the slow progression of this story is not boring anyone...there is a reason for it, and you will all see what that is very soon. Per request(and you know who you are;), I will be continuing this theme in the next chapter. If anyone has a problem or issue with that, please feel free to direct all complaints to Megan(Dryadspeaks)...I'll just take the reviews :D _**

**_Thought I'd also point out that I do not own season 2(not yet anyway...it doesn't come out until September), just tweaking it for creative purposes.  
_**

**_And for those of you reading Let It Be, I hope to update that sometime this weekend as well.  
_**


	25. Chapter 25

_**An authors note...The loyalty and support of the readers, and you know who you are, is such a amazing honor...thank you all so much. SO excited to post this chapter and continue along the plot lines of the previous arc. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and the next chapter will officially close it out...though I can't promise there won't be further referencing in the future. Please enjoy, and as you know, feedback is always appreciated.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The forty minute trip to St. Rita's medical center was made in relative silence. Alicia knew she could have just saved herself about 15-20 minutes and gone to Lima General, but the family had a long history with St. Rita's, including it being the base hospital of Artie's primary physician...and they were always most comfortable seeing him.

Two batteries of tests, and three and a half hours later, they were still waiting for the final word. Artie laid on the gurney, two pillows under his knee, propping his leg at a forty-five degree angle, staring up at the ceiling, and thinking about how bad this sucked. He knew it could be much worse, though. All of the x-rays had come back negative, so no broken bones, and they didn't have to stick him with an IV or Foley him...at least not yet.

"Hey Mom...what time is it?"

Alicia glanced up from her magazine and followed his gaze around the room, looking for a clock. There was none, and Artie had shut the television off over a half hour ago, when he got frustrated that there wasn't anything good to watch...though Alicia was surprised he could even tell, by how fast he was flipping through the channels.

"Almost eleven," she replied, glancing down at her watch. At Artie's somewhat distracted nod, Alicia scooted her chair forward. "You can let them help with that, you know," her hushed tone reassured.

Artie shook his head. "No," he balked softly, but adamantly, "I've still got some time."

Alicia did her best to hide the frown that was threatening to break through. She knew that Artie never went more than six hours without cathing himself, four was the daytime norm, six the overnight, and that he'd last taken care of business sometime after dinner, but before their walk...sneaking up on four and a half hours ago. But it was putting off of his bowel management program, that she knew he was really becoming concerned with. "Honestly Honey, it's okay..."

"Sorry...just need to get another blood pressure reading," one of the two very chipper nurses called from the doorway, causing Alicia's words to trail off, unspoken.

Artie turned his head to glance menacingly at the cuff attached to his upper arm. They'd been taking readings nearly every half hour since he got there.

Holding her breath, Alicia watched anxiously as the numbers on the monitor climbed. The reading finally popped up and she switched her slightly disappointed gaze to the nurses face, the younger woman's expression only confirming what Alicia already knew. "Still a little elevated, but coming down," the nurse commented, a bit more positively...and 139 over 81 was a far cry from the dangerous 151 over 90 he was brought in with.

"Dr. Murphy is just going over the CT films now," she went on to state. "He should be with you shortly."

Alicia nodded and flashed the nurse an appreciative smile as she was leaving, then turned to Artie. "Sweetie, you really need to relax," she pleaded, reaching out to caress his arm.

"I know Mom," Artie let out a frustrated sigh, "I'm trying."

Alicia's chest clenched slightly when Artie's arm flinched away, only to have it return a second later, with his hand slipping into hers. He squeezed gently and let out another sigh. The moment, however, was cut short by a knock on the outside wall.

"How are you doing, Kiddo?" Dr. Murphy asked as he breezed in the room.

Alicia smirked in response to Artie's shrug, and Dr. Murphy couldn't help but return the same gesture, before glancing down at the chart in his hand. "Films look good," he started out casually, "no serious soft tissue damage, just some bruising and..."

"So I can go home now?" Artie asked anxiously.

Dr. Murphy frowned slightly. "Well actually, I was going to admit you overnight for observation..."

"No," Artie groaned, then glanced over at his mother with imploring eyes, "...please, Mom."

As hard as it was for her, Alicia momentarily ignored her son's request in favor of acknowledging the doctor exclusively. "Whatever you think is best for him we'll do."

Three pairs of cautious eyes darted between their owners. "If it was any other patient, I'd probably make them stay, but...," Dr. Murphy's words drifted off, almost like he was throwing his hands up in concession. "There's some fluid surrounding the kneecap that I need to drain before I let you go."

"Okay," Artie agreed. He would consent to just about anything as long as it got him out of there. "At least I won't feel it." The quip was may not have been his best, but at least it got the mood to lighten a little.

"I'm giving you a sedative anyway," was the doctors playful response to that. "I don't need you to kick me because I triggered a spasm from jabbing a needle into that leg."

Okay, so that comeback wasn't much better.

"Because of the sedative, I'll need you to stay about an hour or so after the procedure so we can monitor you and give it some time to wear off," Dr. Murphy continued, a bit more professionally this time, and Artie nodded compliantly.

"Then some important after care rules for when you get home," Dr. Murphy began, rattling off the set of instructions to both Artie and Alicia. "That leg needs to remain elevated as much as possible, which means you're going to be spending a lot of time in bed, or on the couch this weekend...the chair is only to be used for transport, so obviously no school tomorrow...constant, but careful shifting, every twenty to thirty minutes...Alicia, I'll need you and Art, whoever is available, to work with him on modified range of motion, both legs, plus massage, every two hours during the day, and at least twice overnight...no regular physio sessions until you've followed up with me on Monday...and absolutely _no_ unnecessary pressure on that leg at all."

The devastation on Artie's face was evident. "But it's..."

"I need you to carefully follow these rules Artie," Dr. Murphy began explaining to his patient, "it could mean the difference in remaining ambulatory, or risking permanent damage to that knee, and losing that forever." At Artie's small nod of resignation, Alicia gave an encouraging squeeze of their still clasped hands. "I'll go get everything prepped," the doctor quickly added, before leaving the room.

Alicia shifted her gaze from the retreating doctor, back to Artie, who was just lying there, staring blankly at the far wall. "Honey?"

"I hate this," he ground out with clenched teeth, and pulled away from her before letting his hands fall back hard against the mattress. She hated it too...seeing her son in any type of pain, frustrated, and angry, and sad. He slowly turned his head toward her, and muttered imploringly, "It's Homecoming weekend Mom."

Alicia could see the moisture pooling in his eyes, and that broke her heart a little. "Artie, you heard the doctor," she murmured encouragingly, "you need to do what he tells you, so you can heal properly...Quinn will understand..."

"She shouldn't have to," he choked out as a single tear slipped down his cheek.

Alicia was at a loss, until Artie's hand found hers once again. Her thoughts drifted back to those of earlier...hands, bigger now, and calloused from use, but still needed that comfort that could only come from a mother. She lifted the back of his hand to her lips, and gave her son that continued encouragement he was needing.

Both Artie and Alicia were able to compose themselves before Dr. Murphy returned...this time with two other nurses, and a large supply cart in tow. "How hard did you hit?" he questioned after studying the large, blotchy bruise spreading over Artie's knee, for a second time that evening.

"I don't know," the boy replied dismissively, and carefully worded the rest of his answer, "...was trying to avoid a behemoth jock who thinks he owns the hallways."

"Well next time, swerve into traffic," the doctor quipped playfully, unaware his patient wasn't being completely truthful, "because people are almost always softer than walls."

Artie almost let a smile slip through, before he drifted off to near oblivion.

...

It was after 1am when Art finally got the text from Alicia saying that they were just about to leave the hospital. He decided it would just be better to go downstairs to wait for them, since he wasn't having much luck sleeping anyway.

He was being so careful to be quiet, and not wake any of the sleeping children, that he didn't notice the figure curled up on the couch, until he was already in the living room.

"Quinn?"

The blond's head snapped up. "Oh hey Art...," she whispered, giving a small, shy smile as she slowly sat up. "Sorry if I woke you," Quinn added apologetically, and quickly glanced from him, to the softly muted television set, then back again. "I could have watched tv upstairs in my room, but with Caroline sleeping..."

"No worries, Hon...this is your house too," he assured her, taking a seat in the recliner across from the loveseat. "I couldn't sleep either...it's hard waiting for word when someone you love is sick or hurt."

The way he emphasized the word love, made Quinn's heart skip a beat. "And I'm not the most patient person in the world," she quipped, almost teasingly.

Art grinned and gave a small nod of understanding. "We may have gotten accustomed to emergency room visits, hospital stays, and doctor office appointments...but it never makes you worry any less," he returned, his tone becoming somewhat subdued, but still reassuring. "Just got the text from Alicia saying they're on their way home."

Quinn let out a soft sigh of relief. "And he's okay?" she implored...the last update they'd got, was to tell them he needed fluid drained from his knee ...and that was over two hours ago.

"He'll be just fine," Art chuckled in reply, "drowsy I'm sure, but just fine.

Maybe it was the glasses, or the witty sense of humor, or the delirium of her sleep deprived mind, but Quinn couldn't help but notice a distinct resemblance between Artie and his father. She smiled back at him, and let her eyes flutter shut in silent prayer.

"You should get some rest Quinn," Art called out after she let out a huge yawn.

"But I wanted to wait up for him," she muttered in reply, fighting to stay awake.

Art grinned, a little groggily himself, then settled back into the recliner. "I'll wake you when they get home," he promised, but never got the chance.

Thirty minutes later, Alicia was gently rousing Art from his slumber, when Quinn startled awake too. "Can I see him?" she pleaded, jumping to her feet when she caught a glimpse of Art following Artie down the hall.

"In the morning," Alicia stated, even though it was technically morning. "He's pretty sleepy, and you need your rest as well...you have a big day tomorrow.

Disappointed but accepting, Quinn nodded her weary head. "You'll give him a kiss for me?"

Alicia smiled brightly...how could she say no to that? "Of course I will," she promised, then gently pressed one of her own, to Quinn's forehead.

...

Quinn woke up that Friday morning, not to the buzzing of her alarm clock, but to the cries of her baby girl. The wildly interrupted six and a half hours of sleep she had gotten, not adequate enough to make her feel even remotely rested. Or ease her tension any. She still had to wait until Caroline was finished nursing, to go do the one thing that she'd been waiting to do all night...check on Artie.

Luckily for Quinn, her baby girl inherited the Puckerman gene, when it came to food consumption.

"Hey, you're awake," she greeted sweetly from Artie's doorway.

"That's debatable," he quipped in reply, and managed a huge, but still slightly weary smile.

"Well you look great," she commented, taking his ability to hold a conversation, as permission to enter.

Artie eyed her skeptically and frowned. "Too bad I feel like I was trampled by a herd of rhinos."

As witty and playful as he tried to make that statement sound, it just ended up making Quinn's sympathetically concerned pout intensify. "I'm kidding Quinn...it's not that bad," Artie backpedaled, going the dismissive route, but his girlfriend was far from buying it. And when she sat on the bed next to him and took his hand..."I just don't handle the effects of sedation very well," he went on to add, though the explanation didn't stop there, "...or anesthesia, or opiate based painkillers...or some antibiotics..."

Damn drug induced word vomit.

Quinn scooted closer to him, then laced her fingers with his. "How is it?" she asked, motioning to his knee.

Artie followed her gaze, his anxiety level increasing with each passing second. He felt so exposed in his current situation...not exposed, exposed, because he was dressed in a t-shirt, cotton socks, and pair of Andy's old basketball shorts...but ones that revealed his bird skinny legs, one of which was severely bruised and propped up on three pillows.

"It'll be fine," he answered casually, as if to take the focus off of him all together. "Dr. M said there was no damage, just fluid build up, but he drained it..."

Quinn reached out with her free hand, her fingers barely grazing the blotch of purple skin, just over the special bandage protecting the small site the fluid was drained from. She'd seen those patches before, they were the same ones he used to cover up pressure sores.

"It just needs to stay covered for a few days, so no bacteria gets in there," Artie replied, shifting slightly under her curious gaze, ...he really didn't feel comfortable with her even looking at his legs, let alone, touching them. In fact at the moment, he was a lot more put out about not having them covered, than he was about wearing hand-me-downs from his little brother. "He also wants me to rest, and keep it elevated...and gave me a whole slew of other restrictions..."

"Well I already figured you weren't going to be allowed to go to school today," Quinn cut in, smiling playfully at him.

Artie couldn't bring himself to return the gesture though. Instead, he let out an aggravated sigh, "Or the game tonight...or the dance tomorrow..."

"That's okay," Quinn interjected reassuringly, as she squeezed his hand, "we can just stay home, order pizza, and watch movies."

"My doctor said that I can't go Quinn...not you," he countered pointedly.

Quinn's expression turned puzzled. "I'm not going to the Homecoming dance without you, Artie," she stated, just as insistently.

"Yes you are," he replied in challenge. "I already texted Kurt, and he said that he'd be honored to take my place and escort you to the dance."

"But he's a Junior," she balked in shocked protest.

Artie could see the glimmer of tears forming in her eyes. He managed a small, encouraging smile and began running his thumb over her knuckles. "And one of our best friends, who also doesn't happen to have a date for tomorrow night. It's perfect." Quinn opened her mouth again to object, but Artie was having none of that. "This is important to me, because it's important to you, Quinn."

"Artie, I..."

"Please."

His plea cut her off, just as Alicia walked into the room carrying a tray of breakfast.

"Mom, I can...," Artie began to protest as he pushed himself up on his elbows.

"You are staying right where you're at this morning," she explained with her loving, but no-nonsense attitude, then turned her attention elsewhere. He'd already been up once, to attend to his morning bathroom needs. Unfortunately, trying to bend an uncooperative knee that was also stiff and still slightly swollen, to a ninety degree angle proved to be quite an ordeal, one that Alicia didn't think Artie was really up to repeating...especially not in front of his girlfriend. "Quinn, can you grab a few more pillows from the chest over there?"

The blond did what was asked of her, placing the pillows in a strategic pattern behind Artie's back, just as Alicia instructed. She could see the faint blush of embarrassment, tinge his cheeks, but chose not to say anything...just smiled lovingly at him.

"Thanks...breakfast is ready if you're hungry," Alicia stated, flashing Quinn an appreciative grin, before heading back to the kitchen...but only after first making sure Artie had everything he needed.

"I guess I should get ready for school," Quinn said, albeit reluctantly. Artie, tried not look disappointed as he nodded. "We'll talk about this more tonight?" she suggested, though she knew it wasn't likely they'd get to talk about much of anything with all the activity that was bound to be going on in the house before the big game.

"There's nothing to talk about Quinn," he disputed, giving her one of his most brilliant grins. "You're going to that dance tomorrow, with Kurt, and you're bringing that crown home."

Resigning herself to the fact that resistance was futile to those gorgeous blue eyes AND that adorable face, Quinn simply sighed. "I love you Artie," she whispered, leaning down to capture his lips in a sweet kiss.

Artie simply beamed. "I love you too, Quinn."

...

"C'mon Mom..._please_..."

Alicia could tell that the inactivity was starting to grate on Artie...even though he was constantly moving by shifting position, or stretching and massaging his legs...he hadn't done much of anything but eat, sleep and read. "Okay," she finally conceded, standing ready to help him transfer, if need be.

"I got it," Artie assured her, waving off any attempt as assistance. It was obvious his shoulders and back were stiff and sore from lying on either the couch or in his bed all day...but that only made his desire to 'get up and go', that much stronger. At least his leg was cooperating a little better...save for the brief spasm episode, earlier in the day.

"Right to the couch, Mister," she instructed, or lovingly demanded, if one was being technical.

"Can't I just eat with you guys, _then_ go on the couch?" he asked imploringly.

"ARTIE!"

It was the same greeting he'd got from Abbey a little over and hour ago, when she bounded onto his bed after getting home from school, backpack and all. Only to be shooed out by their mother when Alicia realized he'd been trying to sleep.

"Hey Squirt," he returned playfully, but caught himself, and the disapproving glare his mother was giving him, for even thinking it was okay to pull his sister onto his lap. Artie was forced to settle for a hug instead.

"Okay, drop off complete," Art announced as he walked through the kitchen to find out where the rest of his family had congregated. "That school is a madhouse already," he added, once he'd located Alicia.

"You should probably leave right after we eat," she advised, returning the kiss she'd just received from him.

Art gave a small nod. "Saw the local cable station out there, they're going to stream the whole thing live on channel eight, so you'll be able to watch it..."

"Wait, you're not going to the game?" Artie asked his mother.

"No Honey, I thought I'd stay home with you," she casually returned.

"Mom, you can't do that," he blurted, but immediately backpedaled. "I mean you can't do that to Andy...he's expecting you to be there...I'll be fine on my own."

"I've already mentioned it to Andy, and he understands..." At Artie's incredulous glare, Alicia paused and let out a frustrated sigh. "Okay, he was a little upset," she amended.

"A little?" Alicia avoided Artie's gaze, looking down guiltily. "Mom, go watch the game..."

"I can stay with Artie," a little voice, which had been silent for the most part, called out casually. Big brother shook off any lingering surprise, and flashed little sister a slightly conspiratorial smile. "It's perfect," Abbey went on to say, "I can make sure he stays on the couch and rests, and bring him things like the remote, or his phone, or more pillows, or a blanket, or a glass of water, or his medicine..."

"That's very sweet Abbey," Alicia interjected as gently as she could, "but Artie needs..."

"I can even remind him to stretch every two hours and shift every...twenty...," pausing for thought, Abbey looked over at Artie who prompted her with, "...to thirty minutes."

They'd finished in unison, both looking up at her with those huge blue puppy dog eyes. "Andy doesn't care if I go, Mom. But he will if you don't go." Abbey made one last heartfelt attempt, "And besides...Artie needs me."

Alicia caved immediately.

"Alright," she started, trying hard not to smile at the way Abbey was bouncing up and down in front of her. "But I'm only staying for the junior varsity game, and will be home right after. I'll also have my phone on the entire time, so you call me if you need _anything_."

The last part was directed at Artie, and he nodded obligingly.

"Okay, lets go eat then."

...

Art and Alicia weren't out the door a minute, and already Abbey was doting on her big brother.

"Are you sure you don't need to lay down?"

"No Abbey, I'm fine."

"What about your leg, shouldn't you put it up on some pillows?"

"It should be okay stretched out like this."

"Do you need something to drink...or some medicine...or..."

"Abs...please come sit down here next to me, so we can watch the game?"

"What?" was the incredulous reply. "We're not watching the game," she added with just a hint of the saucy undertones that reminded him of Mercedes' diva-ness. "It's a total Disney marathon night."

Artie bit back the laughter that was bubbling up in his chest, and arched an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

Abbey nodded innocently as she popped a DVD in the player. "You turn the movie on," the youngster demanded pointedly, before gently dumping an array of remote controls into her brothers lap, "...and I'll go make the popcorn."

This time he couldn't hold back and was still chuckling when he called out to her, "Remember to remove the plastic wrap...oh, and make sure to thoroughly read all of the instructions...the bag needs to face a certain way..."

"I know how to make popcorn, Artie," Abbey shot back from the kitchen, which only succeeded in making him laugh harder.

It didn't take much time, or rummaging in the cabinets, before Abbey was back, tray in hand..."And soda?" Artie queried playfully.

"It's clear...," she returned in defense, hoping that would somehow nullify the rule against too may sugary drinks a day.

"So if it spills on the carpet, Mom will never find out?" he quipped teasingly. The slight blush and innocent shrug that followed, was all the confirmation he needed. "So what are we watching?"

"You didn't put it on yet?" Abbey retorted with a question of her own.

"I was waiting for _you_," Artie countered pointedly, but as always in a very playful tone, when it came to his sister.

Abbey's grin brightened considerably. "Toy Story trilogy," she answered his previous question with the term she'd heard him use a few times before.

"Aw Abs, you know the third one makes me sad," he whined jokingly.

"I know, but we might not even get to it tonight," Abbey pointed out, then paused to glance over at the clock, before returning her gaze to Artie...or more specifically, his leg. She waited patiently while he pulled it back, bending the knee to an almost ninety degree angle, to rest right next to it's mate, then push up with his hands, settling himself further into the cushions. Only after he'd sufficiently shifted, did she sit down next to him.

"I just like singing all the songs with you...especially when you do it in that funny voice," Abbey added, giggling as she handed him the bowl of popcorn, and snuggled up against his side.

They were only through about a third of the movie and half of the popcorn, when Abbey abruptly blurted, "I wish our Andy was like him."

"Oh he's not so bad," Artie countered, trying not to let his mind drift to the incident in the hall, the day before. "It could be worse...he could be like Sid," he stressed with a mock shutter, and tried not to laugh at the incredulous "he's not that far off" glare he was getting from Abbey.

It didn't work.

"Okay, so if you're Molly, then who am I?" Artie asked, chuckling.

The little girl paused to think about her answer, but only for a second. "You the older brother we don't see because he's all grown up, and a rock star."

Another burst of laughter erupted from Artie. No matter what the situation, or how much life sucked, Abbey Abrams always managed to make her brother smile. Looping his arm around her shoulders, Artie pulled his sister in for a half hug...a gesture Abbey took as permission to cuddle closer to him...so close, that her knees were resting on his right thigh, and her head was settled against his chest.

Only a few seconds had passed when Abbey suddenly asked, "Artie, is your knee going to get better?"

He looked down at his sister and gave a small, casual nod. "It should...why?"

Abbey's eyes flickered up to meet his and she shrugged sheepishly. "I heard Mommy telling Daddy about what could happen if you don't do all the things Dr. M told you to do."

Masking his disappointment as best he could, Artie turned a little to face her better. "That's why I'm doing them," he replied reassuringly, "because I really want to be able to take you for walks like that, for as long as I can." Translation.._..I really want to be a brother you can be proud of_.

But Abbey didn't see it that way, never had...and wrinkled her face in confusion. "I didn't mean it like that," she began to explain, and it was Artie's turn to look perplexed. "I mean walking like that was lots of fun, and I really liked holding your hand...but I mostly want it to get better so I can sit on your lap again...I miss it and it's only been one day." The magnitude of the implication of her words may have been lost on her, but they weren't on Artie, and he was stunned speechless...and possibly left a little teary-eyed. "Maybe you can just get it back for Halloween though...if your knee is better by then...that way when you take me trick-or-treating, you can come with me up to the doors, instead of waiting for me on the sidewalk," she added, and when she was done, practically beamed with excitement.

"Thanks Squirt," Artie managed to croak out, after first clearing his throat, and smiled down at her.

"For what?" Abbey asked innocently.

His grin intensified, "For being my sister."

"You're not supposed to thank me for that, Silly," Abbey giggled with great amusement, "...you're supposed to thank God."

"Oh I have Abbey...believe me...," Artie assured her, beaming, "I have."

...

**_ANx2...edit for clarification...Sorry if there was any confusion, but I am in no way ending this story(quite the contrary...I have a LOT more to write), just the story arc I've been building up to, will culminate in the next chapter. Thanks so much for the concern though, it really touched my (GLEEful)heart._**


	26. Chapter 26

_**An authors note...I know I said that this chapter would be the end of the long and involved arc I've been working on, but my muse had other ideas. So to keep it all manageable, I've decided to split the chapters into two...but I PROMISE, the next chapter is the end(though the chapter after, will only jump about two weeks time). My undying gratitude to all of you for everything...THANKS.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

She was a vision to behold, dressed in a teal hued cocktail length, that was supposed to compliment Artie's eyes. Luckily, it was a Kurt approved color for the autumn months as well as one that he could "work with"...because, after all, it was now fall, and he was taking the prettiest girl at the school, to her Homecoming dance.

"You look amazing," Artie muttered breathlessly, as he watched her she make her way to the bottom of the stairs, where he was waiting for her.

"Why thank you kind Sir," she returned, giving a little curtsey for added playfulness. "You don't look half bad yourself."

Artie glanced down at himself, and had to agree. The clean sweats he'd put on after his shower were a whole lot better than the short, t-shirt combo and wicked case of bed-head he'd been sporting for the better part of the past day and a half. But what he wouldn't give to be dressed in his favorite(and only)suit...to be the one escorting his girlfriend to their Homecoming.

"I've got something for you," he stated, reluctantly taking his eyes off of her so he could lead her into the living room. "I asked Kurt not to bring you one, because I wanted it to be from me," he added once he reached the coffee table, and took the small box in his hands. "You don't think that was selfish of me...do you?"

Quinn tried not to let Artie see the tears pooling in her eyes. "No, I think it's the sweetest thing ever," she choked out, taking the corsage he was offering her. "It's so beautiful Artie...thank you."

Artie grinned as he slipped the delicate bouquet onto her wrist. "I made sure it matched your dress, since I'm not exactly sure what Kurt will show up in," he quipped, chuckling softly, then finished the gesture with a gentle kiss to the top of her hand, before glancing back up to meet her slightly pensive gaze. "I'm sorry Quinn."

"Artie, please don't," she pleaded desperately, kneeling down at his side. "I'm having a hard enough time going to this dance without you..."

"Which is exactly what I'm apologizing for," he cut in wistfully, but his words trailed off as he began to gently run a finger up and down the silky arm draped over his thigh.

Quinn watched, mesmerized by his hand caressing her arm and the feeling it gave her. "You know, it's not too late for me to back out," she suggested, soft...but very sincerely.

"Yes it is," Artie muttered quietly, after a quick glance at the clock, giving Quinn the time to reciprocate his gesture of affection. He smiled down at her and she forced one up at him, until their hands stilled, then joined.

"You should probably go back and stretch out on the couch," Quinn suggested, running her thumb over his knuckles. He wasn't the only one to notice what time it was...and it made her painfully aware that he'd already been up and sitting in his chair, much longer than he was currently allowed.

"I will," Artie assured her with a grin, then gently tugged on her hands, and helped her to her feet, "just as soon as Kurt gets here." That proved to be sooner than expected, and half a beat later, the doorbell was chiming. Quinn managed to shoot Artie a playful smirk, before following him into the foyer.

As they approached the door, they could hear Alicia greeting Kurt. He exchanged a polite greeting with Mrs. Abrams, then looked beyond her, and gasped. "Wow Miss Fabray, the sight of you in that dress almost makes me want to go straight," Kurt teased, blushing as he gave Mrs. Abrams a slightly self-conscious smile when he noticed Abbey pop her head up and look in their direction, before adding a playful, "Almost."

Quinn giggled and colored in much the same manner. "Thank you Kurt," she replied, giving her friend a welcoming hug.

"How's the knee, Artie?" Kurt asked casually over Quinn's shoulder.

"It's getting there," he replied, barely able to finish his thought when a blur on the stairs got Alicia's attention.

"Andy honey, where are you going?" she called out curiously.

"Harry's," the boy answered dismissively, and continued his descent.

"Dressed like that?" Alicia returned skeptically.

Andy stopped at the bottom, frowning slightly. "I'm riding with him to the dance."

"You're going to Homecoming?"

Andy's eyes shot up in surprise, but not as surprised as Artie was, when he realized he'd just said that out loud. Alicia however, just looked plain confused. "I've heard of friends going stag to prom, but Homecoming is usually a dance you attend with a date..."

"I have a date, Mom," Andy interjected, blowing out a sigh of annoyance in the process.

"Who, Harry?" Artie teased his brother, then thought about how insensitive that may have sounded in front of Kurt, and flashed his friend an apologetic smile.

Kurt smirked back, eyes dancing with amusement, where Andy's were glaring daggers at Artie. "Her name is Kelsey," the younger Abrams said, turning to his mother, "she a cheerleader..."

"Petite, blond?" Quinn cut in and asked, to which Andy replied with a nod. "She's cute," she added, with a smile.

While Andy acknowledged the compliment with a small grin, Alicia's chest grew heavy and she frowned. "Honey, I had no idea you were interested in a girl..."

"It's no big deal, Mom," he cut in, trying to dismiss any concern of hers, with a shake if his head. "We've only been together a few weeks..."

"Wait...you two are dating?" she gasped out in shock. It wasn't as if she was all that surprised that her son was in a relationship. He was handsome, popular, and had 'dated' before, having two different 'girlfriends' in junior high...one the summer after seventh grade, and the other, toward the middle of eighth. "Andy, why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?"

He saw the sadness etched in her expression, heard the hurt in her voice, but all he could do was make himself shrug and avoid looking at anything but the floor. "Am I at least going to meet her?" Alicia added pleadingly.

"Sure Mom...soon," Andy answered, quick to appease her, but even more to distance himself from the awkwardness of the situation, "but after I get to Harry's..."

"I can drive you," she offered, her tone hopeful, if not a little desperate. "I'm sure Kelly wouldn't mind if I take on the carpooling duties for once, that way I get to meet this...Kelsey...and..."

"Okay...whatever...," Andy acquiesced, flashing his Mom a forced smile, before pulling his phone from his pants pocket, and heading for the kitchen.

"Sorry guys," Alicia intoned apologetically to the other group huddled in the foyer, "I hope you don't mind me running out like this."

"It's fine Mom," Artie assured her with a grin.

Alicia smiled back as she reached for her purse, then realized, "I should probably take Caroline with me..."

"No Mommy, you can't," Abbey called pleadingly from her place in the living room. "She needs to stay with me and Artie," the little girl stated breathlessly, panting from her short but furious run, "We're watching The Lion King and Little Mermaid for tonight's movie marathon. It'll be Caroline's first time." Eyes darting up between Quinn and Kurt, Abbey's smile intensified, "Artie says it's a good idea to start her early."

The small chuckle that escaped Alicia, mingled with the ones already coming from both Kurt and Quinn...causing Artie to lower his gaze to his lap, and blush.

"If it were me, I probably would have started her on repeats of America's Top Model," Kurt quipped, smirking playfully when Artie lifted his eyes to meet his. "Artie my friend," he continued, acknowledging said peer, exclusively, "I do believe your choices are much more age appropriate."

"So we're good?" Alicia asked, as soon as the second round of laughter dissipated. She waited for a quick consensual nod from both Artie and Quinn, then added, "I shouldn't be very long," before finally heading out.

"Are you sure about this Artie?" Quinn queried, only mildly concerned, but grasping for any reason to stall. "I'm sure we can wait a bit longer if..."

"Actually Quinn...," Kurt interjected regretfully, "We should probably leave now if we're going to get to Mercedes for pictures..."

Reluctantly, she nodded. Artie could sense her internal conflict, so he did what he knew would ease her mind. He grinned. "And I have a date with a couch, Walt Disney, and two of my most favorite girls."

"And ice cream sundaes," Abbey made sure to mention.

"And ice cream sundaes," Artie repeated, beaming from ear to ear as he took hold of Quinn's hand...his eyes urging her to go.

Quinn swallowed back her tears, squeezed his hand and nodded. Leaning forward, she captured his lips, letting the kiss linger a little more than was actually necessary. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.

"I love you too," he returned, smiling encouragingly, until she was out the door.

...

When the front door opened at 9:48pm, Artie half expected Andy to stomp in, grumbling under his breath about how much his night had sucked.

But the footsteps were too soft.

Head twisted over his shoulder, he tried to keep his voice hushed with a slumbering Caroline nestled in the crook of his left elbow, and a dozing Abbey curled against his right side. "Hey, what are you doing home so early?"

"The dance is over," she answered casually, as she slipped out of her shoes. Artie looked at her skeptically and frowned. Quinn gave him a small shrug and innocent grin in return. "At least it was for me."

"Quinn?"

"Seriously Artie. I showed up, got my crown, had one last dance with my date, and left," she stated in her defense, circling around the couch to sit on the coffee table in front of him.

He still didn't look convinced, but before he could say anything to the contrary, Abbey stirred awake. "Hey Quinn, you're home," she greeted thickly and rubbed her eyes.

"That seems to be the consensus," Quinn quipped playfully, even if the joke went right over the sleepy girl's head, and smirked pointedly at Artie.

"Did you win?" Abbey asked next, and began to sit up...though she never left the protective cocoon of her brother's arm.

Quinn chuckled. "I did," she replied, smiling as she pulled the sparkling tiara out of her purse for proof.

"Wow," Abbey gasped, now fully awake. Staring at the crown, she grinned from ear to ear, "It's so pretty."

Glancing down, Quinn turned the bauble around in her hands. "It really is beautiful," she couldn't help but agree. "It's a shame it's just going to end up going to waste." At Abbey's incredulous glare, Quinn smirked. "I mean, it's just going to end up collecting dust on my dresser. I can't wear it to school, or cheer leading practice, or dance class, ...and if I did wear it, Caroline would just pull it right off of my head, and use it as a teether. It deserves to go to someone who would treasure it, they way it should be treasured."

There was a pause, and Quinn took the time to watch Abbey's expression soften from deep contemplation, to a sort of understanding, but not quite... "I'd like you to have it, Abbey."

"W-wha...?" the little girl stammered, eyes darting wildly from her brother, to his girlfriend. Quinn smiled and nodded, "Really?" she asked, just to be sure, and looked over at Artie for permission. But he was staring at Quinn too.

"Of course," she replied, giggling. "I know you'll wear it, take care of it, and appreciate it."

"Oh I will," Abbey replied, practically squealing with delight, as Quinn leaned forward to place the tiara on her head.

"There you go Princess Abbigayle," she announced, beaming with her own sense of joy at seeing how excited Abbey was getting. "And I have the authority to do that," Quinn added, just a half a beat later, "I'm Queen, you know."

"Thank you so much Quinn," Abbey shrieked, throwing her arms around the bigger girl.

Artie threw a very meaningful glance his girlfriend's way. "You look beautiful, Squirt," he stated, the softness and sincerity of his statement was enough to break through the embrace. "Just like the princess that you are," he added, playfully poking her in the stomach with his finger.

"I love you, Artie" Abbey exclaimed, lunging at him this time. Never one to hold back on showing her affection, the little girl turned back around. "I love you too, Quinn," she stated, giving out another short hug before she straightened, eyes wide, lips drawn up, and fingers skimming the crown atop her head. "I have to go show Mommy and Daddy."

Artie watched with a grin as his sister practically sprinted from the room. "You didn't have to do that," he said, turning back to face Quinn.

"I know, but I wanted to," she replied casually. "I honestly have no use for it, and Caroline is way too young..."

"But it belongs to Caroline," he interjected, briefly stealing a loving glance at the baby cradled in his arm.

"And it _will_ be hers someday," Quinn assured him, smirking pointedly, "...like when Abbey's in high school and has a collection of her own." That comment made him grin. "I wanted her to have it Artie," she continued, her hazel eyes dancing brightly. "Did you see how excited she was?"

Artie's smile reflexively widened, and he reached out for her hand. "Thank you," he muttered softly.

Quinn laced her fingers with his. She stood, bent at the waist, and placed a soft kiss to his lips. "_Thank you_," she parroted, though the reason behind her declaration wasn't quite as clear...until she gently scooped her daughter from his arms. "I appreciate everything you've done for me tonight."

Before he could even blush with embarrassment over the statement, Quinn notice Artie shift his position, and for a split second, wondered just how long he'd been sitting like that.

"She was an absolute angel as always," he intoned dismissively, trying so hard to avoid accepting the compliment he didn't think he was worthy of, that he completely missed her obvious concern.

Quinn smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand, before sitting on the couch next to him. "Artie...," she called after tasting the sweet evidence on her lips, "...why is her cheek sticky?"

His expression immediately turned to that of a five year old, who'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It took all the self control for Quinn not to bust out laughing. "I may have let her taste some of my ice cream," he confessed guardedly, and at the slight quick of Quinn's brow, immediately began to explain. "I was only a little bit, and just vanilla...and it's not like she's hasn't already had dairy...she's been eating that baby yogurt for weeks now..."

"And just how old was Abbey when you first gave her a taste of your ice cream?" Her voice was light and teasing, if not also playfully accusatory.

Caught.

Artie blushed and momentarily lowered his gaze. "A little over two months," he muttered, almost under his breath. He lifted his eyes to see Quinn's amused expression and cracked a smile. "It was the fourth of July and it was hot. My ice cream was starting to melt, and she was looking at me with those great big blue eyes..." He let out a sigh of resignation, and seeing her resolve was about to dissolve into laughter, admitted, "I've never been very good at saying no to her..."

Quinn giggled, staring into those same big blue orbs, as she leaned in to capture his lips once again. "I know the feeling."


	27. Chapter 27

_**An authors note...Here is the final chapter in this arc(not the story)...FINALLY! Of course with any ending, it opens the door for many new beginnings:D I'm hoping to update at a steady(steadier) pace from now on, and apologize for the delay. Enjoy!  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Against both Alicia and Dr. Murphy's better judgement, Artie returned to school Monday morning, as soon as they were done at the office. He'd been given a relatively clean bill of health, with direct instructions to keep an eye on the puncture sight for a few more days and watch for any signs of additional swelling as he continued to build back up to his normal daily activities.

"Hey pretty lady, got any plans for lunch?"

Quinn startled at the sound of his voice and spun around, almost knocking her locker shut in the process. "Oh my God Artie, what are you doing here?"

Artie took in her shocked expression and breathless tone and bit back a chuckle. "It's a school day and I'm at school?" he teased playfully.

"I know that," she countered, smiling as she gave his shoulder a playful nudge. "It's just...how did it go at the doctor?"

"Pretty good," he returned casually. "There are a few things I have to look out for, but as long as I take it easy, I'll be fine."

At the words 'take it easy', Quinn jutted out her hip and raised a skeptical brow. "Which brings me back to my previous question...what are you doing here?"

"And I'll reiterate that I'm perfectly well enough to make it through the last four periods of the day," he countered with the same argument he used on his mother, as well as the same expression. Lips pulling up into that trademark grin, he added, "Besides, one is a study hall, and another is lunch."

Quinn smirked at him. "Right, and you wouldn't want to miss today's culinary masterpiece..."

"I made Mom stop for subs," Artie cut in, shrugging innocently as he gestured to his backpack. "Turkey club on wheat?"

"You really know the way to a woman's heart," Quinn resigned with a contented sigh.

"Only this woman, I hope," he returned playfully as he tugged on her hand, and unsuspectingly pulled her onto his lap.

"Artie...your knee?" Quinn yelped, nearly jumping back to her feet, but he held tight.

Glancing down confirmed to Artie that Quinn was indeed sitting diagonal across his thighs, nowhere near his 'bad knee'. "It's totally fine," he reassured her, gesturing down, "See?"

"I'm sure it is," she gently returned as she slipped from his lap, albeit reluctantly, "but I don't want to do anything that might risk impeding that recovery." Quinn could see the faint hint of a frown developing, and her chest clenched a little. She gently squeezed the hand she was still holding. "And if that means staying off your lap for a few more days, then I think that's what we should do." Artie tried to mask his disappointment with a smile and lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"Ready to get to lunch, then?" Quinn asked in the next breath. Earning only a silent nod in return, she quickly fell into step next to Artie...noticing almost immediately after he pivoted, how his jaw set and his shoulders tensed...his demeanor changing completely. She was so deep in thought that she almost missed his expression turning from disappointed, to angry, to determined, almost didn't notice his chair veering to the right, until...

"The fuck, Man?" The pained, but booming voice of one David Karofsky cried out. Quinn could see him clawing at the wall of lockers, trying to maintain his balance on only one foot.

"Oh sorry," Artie called casually over his shoulder, not bothering to slow down, "Didn't see you there."

There wasn't much conviction to his words, or any remorse at all...just a slight smirk of what looked suspiciously like satisfaction, playing at his lips.

...

Heading into the cafeteria, Quinn considered asking Artie if there was more to his literal run-in with Karofsky in the hall, than he was letting on...but she never got the chance.

"Artie, you're back," Tina squealed, releasing the grip she had on Mike's arm only long enough to embrace her friend.

"I was only gone a day and a half, Tee...," he returned with a playful chuckle, "...and I talked to you twice this weekend."

Tina smiled shrugged and reclaimed the spot next to her boyfriend. "Technically I talked to Quinn once and you once, but yeah, we're just really happy to have you back."

"Yeah Man," Finn piped in, "and glad you're knee's gonna be okay. That would've sucked so bad if you couldn't dance, and we were down a man for sectionals. Dude, we totally need you."

Though the sentiment behind the words was completely sincere and much appreciated, the actual statement made Artie wrinkle his face in confusion. Surely Finn knew that no injury to his lower extremities would ever have any bearing whatsoever on his dancing abilities...right?

Glancing up at Quinn for some sign of encouragement, or assistance in how to respond to that, Artie found her sporting a pained grimace and shaking her head in disbelief...as if she could not fathom what she ever saw in that boy.

Mercedes bit back a laugh as she pulled Artie into a quick half hug. "Damn straight we need my boy," she drawled out saucily. "Ain't nobody can touch my brotha from anotha motha."

Artie blushed slightly. "Thank you, my sista from anotha mista," he teased back, touching his fingertips to hers in some sort of secret hand gesture, and grinned from ear to ear.

After the laughter settled down, and the pair moved to take their seats, Artie took a moment to pause and glance around the table. Never in all of the previous nine years would he have ever imagined he'd have a bunch of friends(or any), this kind and loyal and true. Never would he have believed he'd be a part of any group, especially one consisting of jocks, cheerleaders, divas and bad-ass punks. Never would he have believed he'd be dating the most popular...

"What?"

Quinn giggled at his innocently startled expression, and just continued to stare at him both adoringly, and expectantly.

"Oh, right," Artie muttered, reaching around for his backpack and the sandwiches hidden inside. "...and I got us some chips to share too," he added, grinning sheepishly up at her.

Quinn lovingly returned the gesture with a smile, and accepted the portion he was handing her. Mid exchange, she noticed Artie trying his best to ignore the glare Karofsky was boring into him, as he limped past.

"So Abbey tried to talk Mom into letting her wear the crown to school today," he said, only somewhat successful with his method of distraction.

"Did it work?" Quinn asked back, her eyes following Karofsky's back until he was a safe distance away.

"She only asked, _after_ Mom caught her trying to smuggle it in her backpack," Artie returned with a chuckle. "So, no."

Turning back, Quinn couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, her concern momentarily pushed aside by the cuteness of that story...and her boyfriend's obvious amusement at telling it.

...

Quinn felt something was wrong the minutes she stepped into the choir room and Artie wasn't there. He was almost always the first one there...or the first one after Rachel...and he wasn't at his locker when she passed it.

"Have you guys seen Artie?" she asked the ever present trio of Kurt, Tina, and Mercedes.

Tina shook her head. "Not since lunch."

"Me neither," the other two chimed in unison.

"Okay guys, find a seat and let's get started," Mr. Schuester called out, as he breezed through the door. "We have a lot of material to go over..."

"Wait Mr. Schue...we can't start with out Artie," Mercedes cut in, pointedly motioning to the empty space his chair usually occupied.

Will glanced up at the clock and shrugged. "I can give him five more minutes before we have to begin... but in the mean time, Rachel?"

"Something doesn't feel right," Quinn murmured, turning from the seat she was headed for and locking eyes with her teacher.

"I'm sure everything is fine Quinn," Will gave an encouraging nod, "I just had him in my seventh period Spanish class and he looked..."

"He's probably at the nurse."

All heads turned to see Brittany casually inspecting her nails. Quinn's questioning gaze only lasted a second before turning into a gaping glare of incredulity when Finn offered, "Yeah, he was at the doctor earlier today..maybe his knee was bothering him."

"Or his hands," Brittany supplied, just as easily.

With each of them on opposite sides of the room, it was like watching a tennis match between Dumb and Dumber, and it was making Quinn dizzy...and a little nauseous. Though she was pretty sure the latter was from the words Brittany muttered next.

"On my way here, I saw Karofsky and Azimio helping Artie push his chair down the hall..."

"Helping, Brit?" Quinn pressed urgently.

"Yeah," she returned, completely oblivious to how wrong that statement actually sounded. "He had his hands in his lap, and they each had one of their hands on his shoulder...you know, because his new chair doesn't have handles. There were a bunch of other football players helping too..."

"Oh God."

While hearing that Artie was being led anywhere by a group of football players, _did_ set off some warning bells in Will's head, he tried to remain optimistic. "Maybe Brittany's right Quinn. They were probably just helping..."

"No Mr. Schue, you don't understand," she pleaded in protest, then let out another pained sigh. "Artie ran over Karofsky's foot in the hall earlier..."

Puck snickered, "Damn...that's one bad-ass move..."

Searing glare at her baby-daddy aside, Quinn continued, her tone pleading, "This is retaliation...they've got him...and they're going to hurt him."

...

"Open the lid."

"What are you going to do?"

"Teach him a lesson," Dave reiterated, then repeated, "now open the lid."

"No."

"What did you say to me, Freshmeat?"

"I said no," Andy replied, with a bit more conviction than he was currently feeling. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "This is stupid."

"Did you just call me stupid?" Karofsky demanded.

The confrontation seemed to bolster Andy's confidence. "Maybe?" he taunted. "I mean, if this is your idea of fun, then yeah." There was a slight hesitation, at which time, the younger Abrams dared a glance at his brother. "Seriously Dude, what did he ever do to you?"

"Well for one," Karofsky grumbled, "...the loser ran over my foot today..."

Thinking back to all the times he was caught underfoot...or hand, by Artie's chair, Andy smirked. "You'll live."

Angered that he was being humiliated by a Freshman , Dave picked up a large piece of discarded timber, pointed it at a smaller group, and waved it between them. "You three...open the lid, and throw him in."

Harry looked between his best friend and that best friend's brother.

"Stop."

"You gonna make them, Princess?" Karofsky taunted, smirking down at the smaller boy.

Andy stepped forward. "If I have to," he shot back.

Annoyed that his current tactics we proving ineffective with this kid, Dave pushed the three boys closest to him, at Artie. "Pick him up and..."

Equally annoyed, Andy shoved himself between the boys and his brother. "I said STOP."

Karofsky scoffed. "What's with you Dude...you got a thing for this cripple..."

From the side Quinn, Finn, and Puck came rushing toward the group...only to be stopped short by a wall of red, courtesy of Azimio Adams and company.

"Shut up," Andy ground out at the bully, his cheeks reddening slightly.

Using that curious reaction, as well as the snickering of his posse as leverage, Dave continued, "No seriously, Man...why do care so much about what we do to this worthless..."

Andy could hear Quinn yelling, Finn and Puck struggling again those restraining them...something in him snapped, and his defenses crumbled. "He's my brother...Okay?"

He didn't mean for it to come out that forcefully, or that grudgingly...or even at all.

The air fell still, eerily quiet. Andy gaze skirted past Artie...who was just lifting his head from it's bowed position...and landed on a patch the grass in front of him.

"No fricking way!" Karofsky sputtered, glancing between the two. "I mean...just...how..."

"Well if the pretty obvious resemblance wasn't enough of a clue...the fact that I have Abrams stamped, in huge letters, on the back of my jacket, should have definitely tipped you off," Andy returned with a sarcastic clip, lifting his eyes to see Dave standing there with that same gaping, incredulous expression on his face. It occurred to the younger Abrams that the bully never made the connection because he probably didn't know that was his brother's last name...because honestly, did he even care to know his first?

Quinn took the momentary lull, to break away from the clutches of a very distracted Azimio Adams. Taking stance behind Artie, with her hands protective resting on his shoulders, she was soon joined by Finn and Puck...one standing on either side of him.

Once again, the siding of his two teammates(and one Cheerio) with the unrelenting force that was the McKinley high gleeks, seemed to both intimidate and anger Karofsky even more. "Let's get the hell out of here," he muttered at the others, glaring at Andy one more time before turning in his heel. "We're gonna be late for practice."

The rest of the boys followed, some appearing reluctant to do so. Andy and Harry were two of them, but ultimately acquiesced, and fell into step, bringing up the rear.

Artie could feel Quinn give his shoulders an encouraging squeeze. "Hey Andy," he finally called out, before he let his brother get too far. Both boys slowed and turned. "Why did you do it?"

There was a moments hesitation before Andy gave a small shrug of concession. "Because it's the truth," he answered meekly, eyes trained on the ground. Another pause, this one minutely longer, but one that softened his expression slightly. "Besides," he added, lifting his eyes a little as his dismissive front returned, "Mom would totally kill me if I let him trash your chair."

A small grin began to spread across Artie's face, and he gave a small, appreciative nod.

"Thanks."

...

"I still can't believe Karofsky didn't know you two were brothers."

"Really?" Artie scoffed, coasting to a stop next to the couch. He gave Quinn's statement an indifferent shrug, then added, "I'm not surprised at all."

Quinn watched as Artie effortlessly transferred to the cushion. "Why is that?" she asked questioningly, before taking a seat next to him.

"Because nobody knows," he returned casually, as he shifted to get more comfortable. Quinn's silence alerted Artie, and he looked over to see her expression had become even more perplexed. "I mean nobody besides the office staff, the Glee club...and Harry..."

Even before his words trailed off, it was clear that Artie was trying to make light of a difficult subject. Even before he locked eyes with her, he felt her imploring gaze crumble at that wall he'd built up.

"He's ashamed of me."

Quinn had her suspicions for a while now, but to hear the pained words come directly out of Artie's mouth...however soft they may have been...broke her heart a little.

"He always has been." As difficult as it was to talk about, Artie felt the need to elaborate,"...even before. I was always the dorky older brother...the chair just made him even more embarrassed."

Snuggling up to his side, Quinn wrapped her arms around his shoulders, then rested her head against his, and whispered encouragingly. "Artie, I don't think that's..."

"It is Quinn," he countered, cutting her off, sighing. "Why do you think he never has friends over, except Harry...I mean he has a million...or why he's never brought his girlfriend over to meet us..."

"She knows all about me and that I live with his family," Quinn interjected, reassuringly.

"But I'm sure she doesn't know that family consists of_ me_, as his brother," Artie shot back, his tone soft and not at all defensive. "I get it though...," he continues, sighing, "...he was teased a lot when we were younger..."

"For having a brother who uses a wheelchair?" Quinn cut in with an incredulous gasp. _How could kids be so cruel?_

At Artie's self-conscious nod, and the uncomfortable silence that followed, Quinn took the opportunity to press a gentle kiss to his temple. "I've always worried about it happening to Abbey, too...," he forced himself to go on. "I know she's taken some crap from kids...come home crying a time or two. But for some reason she never let it bother her...at least to my knowledge...and her friends have always been a lot more tolerant. Maybe it's because they've never known me any other way," he reasoned, sounding as if he were trying to convince himself as well, "...or maybe it's just because they're girls."

Quinn smirked at his last comment. Armed with a witty retort about his unyielding charm, she chose to keep that to herself, for a little while longer. Instead, she snuggled a bit closer, and held him a little tighter. "Well, I guess I can't speak for anyone else, but for me...I can honestly say that nothing makes me prouder, than being your girlfriend."

...

_**ANx2...I will not insult you with an apology, or beg for your forgiveness...there is no excuse for not getting this chapter up sooner. RL and pure laziness just got the best of me:P I know there are** **some**** of you out there who are **__**still reading this series and appreciate all of loyalty and support. I wish I could hug each and every one of you...but I can't...so I guess this update**_ _**will just have to do:D**_

_**HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!**_

_***small edit 12/22/11*  
**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**An authors note...Hello my lovelies:D, back posting the first chapter of a small arc I've got going. I'm hoping to update more frequently once my RL calms down a bit. SO busy right now. Please enjoy this short one, and I promise to be back soon with the continuation.  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Breakfast at the Abrams started out like it did every Sunday. Well actually, like it did every day...with a groan, followed by a giggle.

"What?"

"You do that every morning."

"What?"

Quinn rolled her eyes playfully at her boyfriend. "Moan and groan and sigh whenever someone hands you your juice."

"I hate this stuff," Artie returned with a grimace that only intensified when he actually took a sip.

"You do know it comes in pill form?" she went on to add casually, "They're right next to the over the counter prenatal vitamins I take."

"No way," he sputtered between gasps and shook his head adamantly. "Those things are deadly."

"What are you talking about, Artie?" Quinn asked, wrinkling her brow in confusion.

"Cranberry pills, they're like the size of torpedoes," he shot back incredulously. "I almost choked to death the first time I tried taking them."

Quinn was fighting hard to maintain her composure, and then glanced over to find Alicia doing the same.

"I'm serious," Artie cried before he could take notice of the latter's reaction. "Tell her, Mom," he pleaded, calling to her, over his shoulder.

"Well, they are on the larger side," she began to explain as she set the platter of hot waffles on the table. "But Honey, you were only about ten at the time."

"It got stuck, sideways," Artie interjected, turning his attention back to Quinn. "It was blocking my airway; she had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on me."

"Actually Sweetheart, it was more like I pounded gently on your back until you coughed it up," Alicia subtly corrected.

"Threw it up," Artie reminded her, cringing, "all over the table."

Breakfast momentarily forgotten, Abbey gasped audibly. "Mommy, you're not going to make Artie take those awful pills ever again, are you?" the worried little girl asked her mother.

"Not if he doesn't want to, Baby," Alicia replied soothingly, though it was easy to see the slight amusement hiding behind her eyes.

"Oh good," Abbey whispered, heaving a huge sigh of relief. "You should really drink your juice now, Artie," she added, prompting Alicia and Quinn to smile, and everyone else to return to their meal...at least for a few minutes.

"Caroline needs a Halloween costume."

At that comment, all heads turned to find Abbey shoveling another forkful of waffle into her mouth, as if she'd never said anything at all.

"Isn't she a little young for that, Abbs?" Quinn queried playfully.

"Nope," the youngest Abrams replied with a certain shake of her head, "She'll be six months old, just like I was." Throwing a glance her brother's way, Abbey beamed, "I dressed up like a ladybug, Artie picked it out."

Lifting his head slowly, Artie avoided eye contact with his giggling girlfriend, as well as everyone else at the breakfast table. "In my defense, I was nine years old," he stated self-consciously. He'd already had enough embarrassment with stories of his childhood for one day, but couldn't help adding, "and it was cute."

Quinn's grin widened at the blush spreading across Artie's cheeks. "I think it_ is_ cute, adorable in fact," she replied, throwing him a teasing glance. "I also think Abbey's right, she does need one. Would it be okay if we stopped at Target after church?"

The question was directed at Alicia, who smiled and nodded, despite Andy's sigh of protest. "Absolutely," she added a beat later, "I need to pick up a few things anyway."

There was a louder groan this time, but no one seemed to notice, especially not Quinn, who smiling adoringly at Artie from across the table.

...

They'd been strolling up and down every single aisle, even the ones containing automotive supplies and light bulbs, for almost an hour now. Abbey said it was to make sure they didn't forget anything, but Artie had a sinking suspicion it was done for the sole purpose of annoying Andy. The little girl had her own sneakily innocent ways of getting back at their brother for all of the times he was mean to them.

Finally arriving at the Halloween section, Abbey got right down to business. "Which one do you think we should get, Artie?"

"I think maybe we should let Quinn pick it out, Squirt," he replied after first clearing his throat and shifting a little in his chair.

Sporting an amused smirk, Quinn shrugged casually. "There are just so many to choose from," she began playfully, fingering through the selection. "I could definitely use some help."

"This one's cute," Abbey piped in excitedly, before Quinn could even finish her thought.

"Oh my gosh, that's adorable," the young mother squealed, holding the costume up so she could inspect it thoroughly. It was a flower, complete with a dark green body suit and hat that when put on properly, framed Caroline's face with large pink petals.

"Or she could be a ballerina," Abbey suggested next, pointing to each for emphasis. "Or a cow, or a monkey, or a cl...no, I don't like clowns, or a cupcake..."

"I think this one is perfect Abbey," Quinn cut in with a giggle, and then glanced over at Artie. "What do you think?"

He gave his trademark grin and a small nod of agreement before reaching up to tickle the bottom of Caroline's foot, the only part of her he could touch from her position perched inside the shopping cart seat. "I think it's about the most adorable thing I've ever seen."

"Great, now can we please go?" Andy grumbled through his exasperated sigh.

"Nope," Abbey practically sung, and turned on her heel. "I still have to pick out mine," she added pointedly, as she sauntered down the next aisle.

"I just need to grab a few more things on my list, and our order from the pharmacy," Alicia announced, taking off in that direction.

Quinn followed Mrs. Abrams' lead. "And I'd better go get Caroline her diapers," she intoned, just now remembering the reason they were at the store in the first place.

The bothers were left staring at one another. Artie's hands hadn't even reached his rims, when Andy turned and grumbled, "I'm going to find Dad," and a small, but forceful voice rang out over his.

"_Artie_."

...

For about the third time that day, Artie Abrams was trying his best to downplay his embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that," he apologized again.

"Artie it's fine," Quinn assured him, chuckling as she loaded her order onto the conveyer belt. "I think it was sweet," she added, smiling at how excited Abbey had been when she came running at her while she was browsing through the infant section.

_"Quinn, I know exactly what you and Artie should be for Halloween,"_ _the little girl squealed, bouncing up and down in front of her._

_"What?" Quinn queried, playing along._

_"A bride and a groom. That way, Caroline can be your flower girl," she replied, using the term in it's very literal sense, and absolutely beaming._

Artie bowed his head, and shook it slightly. It was sweet and cute, and even more adorable coming from an innocent eight year old, though he couldn't help but feel uneasy about that subject being broached...even if he secretly _did_ want nothing more than to someday make Quinn Fabray his wife.

Something that he still wasn't convinced could ever happen.

"Your total is $48.57."

Artie glanced up to see Quinn digging around in her wallet, her cheerful expression quickly turning into one of panic. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"I thought I had more money, but...," her words trailed off, just as her mind drifted through the past few weeks and the child support she was supposed to be getting from Noah, but had yet to collect on. "Is that after the coupons?" At the nod of the cashier, Quinn flushed red with embarrassment. "Can you take off the costume, please?"

"Quinn, what are you doing?" Artie asked as soon as he saw the item being voided from the screen.

"I can't afford it right now," she was beginning to explain, but got cut off before she could elaborate.

"$26.15."

Hearing the new total made her feel sick. Quinn let out a heavy sigh and tried to control the emotion building up inside of her. "And the baby food," she muttered dishearteningly.

"Hey, don't do that," Artie interjected.

Quinn regarded her boyfriend for a moment, before bending at the waist to whisper into his ear. "Artie, I'm not even sure I have enough to buy the jumbo pack of diapers, I'll probably have to go with the single pack of store brand..."

"That's ridiculous," he scoffed incredulously. "Just put it with ours."

"I can't do that," she countered, looking between Artie and Alicia.

"Of course you can," Mrs. Abrams admonished gently, and then removed the small plastic divider that was separating their orders. "Would you mind combining the orders, please?" she intoned, directing the question to the cashier.

Quinn's chest clenched and her eyes filled with tears. "Alicia really, I can't expect you to..."

"Sweetie, it's really fine," the older woman assured her with a warm smile.

Sniffling, Quinn nodded, not knowing what else to do. "I get paid on Friday, I promise I'll pay you back," she vowed.

Alicia's grin widened and she put a comforting hand on Quinn's shoulder. "I know you will Sweetie, and like I said, it's fine."

But it wasn't fine, by any standards. The Abrams went above and beyond for her and Caroline, and now they were buying the things that she and Noah were supposed to be able to provide.

"So are you getting this stuff, or what?" the annoyed cashier groused.

Alicia kept her cool and simply nodded, while Quinn pulled out her phone and sent a text.

_"We need to talk...NOW!"_


	29. Chapter 29

_**An authors note...No excuses this time, just my deepest apologies**__**(I blame Megan;)**_and sincere thanks to all who have favorited and reviewed. I will try to update as frequently as possible from now on. Hope you enjoy this chapter:D_**  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Her "talk" with Noah the day before, had gone about as well as trying to teach Britt calculus.

_"Wassup?"_

_Placing her hand on her hip, Quinn quirked up her eyebrow. "Really?"  
_

_Puck let out a derisive snort. "Listen Q, you're the one who texed me and said we had to talk right away," he returned pointedly.  
_

_Quinn shook her head in disbelief. "Yeah, and that was yesterday, Noah. You never got back to me," she ground out angrily. "What if something had happened to Caroline?"  
_

_"But it didn't, right?" Puck shot back, his voice wavering slightly out of concern. "I mean, you're supposed to ____911 me immediately if something bad ever happened to our daughter."_  


_He took on an accusatory tone, which Quinn didn't appreciate very much. "No, nothing bad happened," she sighed, more out of relief that the frustration that was building feeling where her baby-daddy was concerned, "but this is about her." The stupidly inquisitive expression Puck was wearing, made Quinn want to knee him in the groin. How could he be this clueless? "Child support. You're more than three weeks late..."  
_

_"So this is about fucking money?" Puck cut in incredulously, his arms jerking up for dramatic effect.  
_

_Quinn narrowed her glare. "Yes Noah, money for YOUR daughters needs," she spat back, "you know, diapers, wipes, clothes, food..."  
_

_"It's always about money with you."  
_

_"Well, babies are expensive."  
_

_Their words nearly tumbled over one another, causing them both to pause awkwardly. After a moments pause, Quinn's expression began to soften a bit, though her glare at Puck, remained steady. "I can't keep relying on the Abrams to bail me out every time I get into a jam, Noah," she groaned imploringly. "A package of diapers here, a few jars of baby food there, that cute little outfit that was on sale...it all adds up"  
_

_"So what?" he chortled sardonically, "Those people are freaking loaded."  
_

_"Um, no they're not," she replied, with an almost a regretful shake of the head, just as Puck shot her an incredulous look. "Okay, so they both have well paying jobs, a nice house, in a nice neighborhood, but they still have bills. They still have three active kids, one who's currently sending out college applications."  
_

_For a split second, Quinn considered reminding him of the ever present expenses in the form of medical, pharmaceutical, and therapeutic bills that have amassed for the past nine years. Though the Abrams did have wonderful health insurance policies through both of their jobs, not everything was always covered...and Artie's ongoing care, was not cheap.  
_

_"Look, I don't know what you want from me," Puck's gruff voice rang out, startling Quinn out of her introspection. "It's the end of October, there's nothing out there right now."  
_

_Quinn began fuming all over again. "Okay, but what about the money you earned from closing up peoples pools?" Her anger only intensified when she saw the way his expression changed. "That money can't be gone already..."  
_

_"It's tied up right now."  
_

_Quinn's face blanched, and she had to swallow twice for the lump to disappear from her throat. "Tied up?" she gasped, fighting back the tears, and the urge to punch the cocky boy standing in front of her. Taking a moment to collect her composure, Quinn took a steadying breath and stepped forward, getting right up into Puck's face. "You know what Noah, I don't care what you have to do," she spat, "but come Friday, you'd better have some money for your daughter."  
_

And sitting in class, listening to what Mr. Schuster was currently saying, made her even more convinced of that.

Noah Puckerman tried knocking over an ATM...literally.

Quinn could not believe her ears; not only was her daughter's father a deadbeat, he was also now a felon.

...

"Hey, you okay?"

Small smile forming before she was even able to lift her head from her notebook, Quinn nodded, as Artie coasted to a stop next to her. "Just thinking," she replied simply.

"'Bout what?" he returned, reaching out to twine his fingers with hers.

Quinn's grin spread wider, she loved the feel of their hands together. "Lots of things."

The crack in her voice alerted Artie, and he looked up, locking eyes with her. "Yeah, like what?" he repeated curiously.

Her expression faded slightly, and her chin fell to her chest. "This whole thing with Noah is so unbelievably screwed up," Quinn answered, shaking her head and shrugging at the same time. "He didn't just let down me and Caroline, he let down the whole Glee club. Sectionals is in a few weeks and if he's not back, or we can't find a replacement, then we're kind of fucked."

It was going on day four of her babydaddy drama, and while things were starting to look up a bit, there was no real end in sight yet. Because Noah's mom was unable to make even his small bail, he was forced to stay incarcerated until his hearing; but because of jail overcrowding, his relatively young age of recently turned eighteen, and this being his first(charged) offense, he was sent to stay in a nearby juvenile detention center.

"Is that what your trying to figure out here?" Artie teased, nudging the arm she had half draped over the notebook page underneath. One look, and he knew his assumption was wrong. "Quinn, what is this?"

She turned away from him, a pained expression, bordering on desperation, etched in her soft features. "Artie."

"No Quinn," he cut in anxiously. "We've already talked about this, numerous times, and..."

"I know," she interrupted this time, then sighed heavily. "But I think it's time that I finally swallowed my pride and moved back in with Judy and Russell."

"You said you'd never do that."

Artie's voice sounded so sad and small, it made Quinn's chest clench painfully. "I know I did, and I don't want to go back there," she paused, ignoring the exasperated look he was giving her, before adding, "but it's the only way."

Quinn shifted better to face him, then reclaimed his hand in hers. "It was my choice to keep Caroline, Artie, not your parents," she went on to explain, cutting him off again, before he had a chance to dispute her claim. "And it's the responsibility of _my_ family to provide for her."

"But you guys are a part of_ our_ family too," he declared reassuringly, "a huge part."

"Artie, it's not the same,"she offered in rebuttal, but Artie simply silenced her with a finger to the lips.

"You are our family Quinn, both of you...and we all love you," he returned, steadfast and genuine. As Quinn's chin trembled, and tears began to spill down her cheeks, Artie tugged on her hand, guiding her onto his lap. "The house, our lives wouldn't be the same without the two of you."

Wrapping his strong arms around her waist, he continued. "I'm not telling you what to do, just asking that you wait to see what happens with Puck before making that decision." At Quinn's groan of skepticism at the seemingly hopeless situation Noah had gotten himself into, Artie chuckled softly. "We'll get through this", he whispered into her ear.

And that feeling of security of being held in his arm, was all the reassurance Quinn needed.

...

Sunday was Halloween, Caroline's first, and one of the favorite holidays in the Abrams household. Abbey loved the idea of getting all dressed up and being rewarded with candy, while Andy liked the fact that he could scare the pants off of anyone he pleased, without getting in trouble for it. Artie always enjoyed passing out the candy to the cute trick-or-treaters, but his favorite part was taking Abbey around the neighborhood himself...even if that meant waiting on the sidewalk below, as she walked up to the front doors with one of their parents.

This year would be different. Not just because Quinn and Caroline would be coming with them, but because Artie had a surprise for planned for Abbey.

"Hurry up, Artie, it's almost dark outside," the excited girl yelled from the other side of her brothers closed bedroom door.

"I'm still getting my costume on. I'll be out in a few minutes," he called back, then instructed, "Go wait out in the living room with Mom and Dad."

She did what she was told, even though she was about to burst with anticipation. Artie had been keeping his costume choice a secret this year, and the suspense was killing her. Usually she and her brother coordinated their costumes, but she wasn't sure what he'd choose that would go with her sparkly blue butterfly; though she knew for a fact that he would not dressing up as a groom to Quinn's bride as she had suggested, especially since the latter was dressed like a gardener to her baby girl's flower.

Abbey was bouncing excitedly on her toes until a somewhat familiar sound caught her attention. She began to turn around, letting out a squeal of delight before even getting half way. "You got it," she exclaimed, running over to Artie.

"Yep," he replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Her smile faltered for a second, and she turned serious. "Wait, I thought Dr. M said you couldn't put any pressure on your bad knee until it was all healed," she intoned, a hint of concern lacing her voice.

"He did, and it is," Artie returned happily, adding a cautionary statement as an afterthought. "I got the all clear from him last week, and have been practicing ever since. No signs of any problems, so just as long as I'm careful and don't overdo it, everything should be fine."

Abbey's elation returned, and this time even bigger than before. Her exuberant nod confirming that she herself would oversee that, though there was still one perplexing question laying heavily on her mind. "But then where's your costume?"

Artie chuckled as he looked down at his feet, then up again. "Right here," he answered simply, "I figured I'd just use the Re-walk."

A flicker of approval flashed across Abbey's features as she studied her brother. "You're going as a robot?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of awesome Transformer," Artie chuckled in response, "But robot will do."

Abbey giggled and gave an indifferent shrug before beckoning for him to follow.

Artie's grin widened. His eyes met Alicia's warm, encouraging ones as he slowly made his way behind his sister. They both knew neither the Re-walk, nor his stamina would last very long, but the last thing he wanted to do was disappoint Abbey. "Come back when you're ready, and either one of us can take over, or you can switch to your chair."

"Thanks Mom," Artie replied, nodding appreciatively.

They were almost down to the sidewalk, with Art there to assist Artie down the slightly treacherous slope of the drive, when Abbey stopped abruptly and ran back into the house. She returned seconds later with a handled plastic pumpkin, Alicia used for decoration. "You need your own, if you're going up to the doors, " she explained, holding the pumpkin out to Artie.

"Abbey, I'm too old to trick or treat," he returned, his blush of embarrassment, only minimal.

"But you have to," the little girl insisted. No, pleaded.

Abbey's request should have been no surprise. Considering that from the time she could talk, around two and a half, the little girl had always brazenly asked for extra candy for her brother...sometimes getting just a piece, other times getting a handful for the boy sitting at the bottom of their stairs, or the edge of their driveway.

Alicia's eyes shone a little as they darted between her children. "Or you can just use it for all of the extras you're bound to get with those awesome costumes," she suggested, both playfully and a little wistfully. She didn't want him to feel compelled to actually trick or treat, especially at seventeen years old, but she knew how much this meant to him...and not only because of Abbey. It nearly broke her heart when he decided to stop trick or treating in the fifth grade, opting instead to simply escort Abbey or be a part of her costume; and though she wasn't told it was because of kids teasing him for having to be carried up to peoples houses by his father, she had her suspicions.

Artie smiled, and allowed Abbey to hang the pumpkin from the grip of his left crutch. After which she announced with a gentle tug on his sleeve, "Now let's go!"

...

_**ANx2...Sorry for the lack of Quartie in the last section, but I really wanted to emphasize the Artie/Abbey dynamic a little more. Plus, we are building up for another arc coming soon:D  
**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**An authors note...I figure it's futile to continue to apologize for my lack of updates, so instead I'll apologize for the lack of Artie(and to Megan for the large amount of Andy) in this chapter. It will all make sense soon enough:D A huge thank you to everyone who is still sticking with me and my stories, you dedication is so appreciated. I hope you enjoy this chapter! **__**  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

The adorableness of Caroline's first Halloween left Quinn in the best mood she'd be in, in weeks. She skipped down the stairs after finally getting her overly stimulated six month old to sleep, to find Caroline wasn't the only night owl in the house.

"Abbey, what are you doing still awake?"

Sparkling blue eyes flickered up from the intense gaze they held previously, and a wide grin spread across her adorable face. "Making my Christmas list."

Quinn let out a soft giggle. "But it's not even November yet," she countered playfully.

"I know, but it will be in just a few more hours," Abbey returned, beaming. "I'm only asking for a few things this year, but one is really, really important," she added pointedly, before getting back to work, "so I thought I should get this out to Santa as soon as possible."

Nearly choking on her amusement, Quinn silently acknowledged a passing Andy, then closed the distance between her and Abbey. What she saw written on the top of the page, in neat eight year old scroll, took her breath away. "Abbey, you do know Santa can't actually make Artie walk again?" she asked once she found her voice again.

There was a snicker that came from the vicinity of the open refrigerator door that was quickly covered up with an awkward cough.

Unfazed by Andy's ignorance, the little girl retorted confidently, "Of course I do. Artie's got the best doctors in the whole wide world, and even they couldn't make that happen."

Not sure of how to respond to that, Quinn searched the room for some form of guidance, but was only met with an equally perplexed pair of hazel eyes. "Then why would you ask him for that?"

"I just want Santa to bring Artie his very own Re-walk," Abbey interjected with her simple, yet logical explanation. "That way he could walk whenever he wanted and wouldn't have to wait to borrow the one from the center."

Quinn's expression softened, Abbey was such a sweet and self-less little girl...very much like her big brother. "That's very nice of you, Abbey, but I'm not sure even Santa can swing that," she tried to let the little girl down easily. "Plus, Re-walks are very expensive and not even available for personal use in the US yet."

"But Santa's magical, he can do it," Abbey countered, just short of pleading. "Artie deserves it. You saw how happy it made him tonight, Quinn." She did, and because of that, the blond's heart was shattering into a million little pieces...for both brother and sister.

"And it's really good exercise for him," Abbey felt the need to add this selling point, though she didn't have to for Quinn's sake.

"I know Abbey..."

"Santa has to bring him one, he just has to."

Hot tears sprung to Quinn's eyes. She couldn't take anymore, and had to glance away, her gaze falling on the only other person in the room. It seemed as though Andy was struggling with some sort of emotion too, for as soon as Quinn looked over at him, he quickly turned away.

"Hey guys."

At the sound of Artie's cheerful greeting, Andy silently slipped from the room, immediately followed by Abbey hopping down from the island stool and announcing, "Gotta go to bed."

Stopping in front of Quinn first, the little girl held her arms out for a hug. "Don't say anything, okay?" she whispered into her ear.

"It'll be our little secret," Quinn promised, squeezing back.

Sprinting toward her brother, Abbey threw her arms around his neck and planted a crushing kiss to his cheek. "Goodnight Artie, love you."

"I love you too, Squirt. 'Night," he called after her, chuckling. "Wow, I really know how to clear a room."

Quinn giggled. "I'm still here," she replied suggestively.

Artie gave one graceful push forward and grinned. "Good, I was beginning to think it was me," he joked, wrinkling up his nose and sniffing.

Stepping behind him, Quinn lovingly wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "You smell fine," she playfully assured him, inhaling his freshly showered scent deeply, "fantastic, actually."

She continued to pepper his neck with kisses, but he seemed more interested in something else. Following his gaze, Quinn immediately straightened up, hands flying to her hips. "You just came in here to snag a treat," she shot out, playfully scolding.

Artie blushed innocently.

"Sorry to tell you, but Mom already took care of that," she added triumphantly as she pointedly glanced up at the giant candy bowl perched on top of the refrigerator.

Artie's grin morphed into a knowing smirk. "Which can only mean one thing," he countered, deftly maneuvering around the center island to where the lower cabinets were located. Fishing around for mere seconds, he flashed a triumphant smile as he held up a burgeoning storage bag full of candy. "Mom always leaves my favorites where I can reach them."

...

Quinn was stressed. Not only did she currently have a million other things to worry about, but Abbey's unique request was still playing heavily on her mind.

"Andy?"

"Oh hey, Quinn," the boy greeted back, after glancing up briefly from the video game he was playing.

The blond hesitated, not sure of how to approach the subject, only knowing she needed to talk to someone about it. "Do you have a minute?"

"Uh, yeah...sure," Andy replied suspicious, but still paused his game and slid over to make room on the couch.

"Thanks," Quinn returned, shifting Caroline from her hip to her lap as she sat down. An uncomfortable silence fell over them again, causing Andy to shift slightly. "I was waiting for a chance to have the house to ourselves to finally bring this up..."

Andy eyed Quinn skeptically, gaze narrowed, brow ruffled. Conversations that started off that way, didn't ever end well, and it was making him feel increasingly on edge. It didn't help that she was looking more than just a little distraught. "Bring what up?" he finally asked.

Quinn sighed heavily. "That thing with Abbey, the other night in the kitchen."

It took a minute for Andy to figure it out, but when he did, he visibly relaxed. "Oh, the Christmas list thing?" he answered casually.

Quinn nodded, her frown deepening even more. "I don't know what to do," she confessed, "she has her heart set on getting Artie his very own Re-walk for Christmas."

"There's nothing you can do Quinn," Andy interjected, matter-of-fact. "It's not like you can just go to mall and pick one out."

"Exactly my point," the distraught teen groaned. "And what's even worse is she's 'sending' her letter to Santa, today."

"Don't those letters end up in some holding room at the post office?" Andy asked, suddenly distracted by the playful tug-o-war battle Caroline was currently having with his finger. "No one's ever going to read it anyway."

Smiling at the sweet exchange, Quinn's worried frown returned at the thought. "Maybe we should tell your parents?"

Andy broke eye contact with the gurgling baby, but not the hold. "What good would that do?" he asked incredulously. "It's just going to make my Mom sad and my Dad feel guilty. Because even if they could get their hands on one of those things, I'm not sure my parents could afford the price tag."

Quinn knew he was right. Even with the best of health insurances, the cost of the Re-walk would fall well beyond the means of the average American family.

"We should probably just tell her the truth."

The nonchalant suggestion nearly broke Quinn's heart. She glanced down at her sweet baby girl, who was currently trying very hard to get Andy's finger into her eager mouth, and wondered if she'd ever be able to do the same with her.

"She's going to find out sooner or later," Andy continued, attention still firmly fixed on the game he and Caroline were playing, and he gave an indifferent shrug. "I was about her age."

Quinn let out another sigh. "How?"

"My friend's brother," Andy answered, letting out a small chuckle. "I had my suspicions before then, though; mainly because I hardly ever got what I wanted. Of course there was that one time I asked for Abbey to be a boy instead of a girl."

"You didn't?" Quinn gasped incredulously, though her tone matched the amusement detected in Andy's voice.

"Yeah. I guess I really wanted a little brother," he admitted, blushing slightly.

Quinn smiled back. As awful as Andy could sometimes be, he could also be just as genuine...and he was always good to her and Caroline.

"Artie never let on," he unexpectedly continued, "I guess he just kept it going for Abbey."

There was a slight fondness when he spoke his siblings names, and that made Quinn's smile widen. But it was the change in his expression, atonement maybe for his actions last Christmastime when he selfishly told Abbey there was no Santa, that made a warmth spread through Quinn's chest. "Then that's what we'll do," she proclaimed, "we'll keep this a secret between us, and keep the magic alive for a little bit longer."

Glancing up at her, Andy simply nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure how long they'd be able to keep this act up, or what the result would be if, when on Christmas morning, Abbey's request would not be found under their tree...but he'd made a promise, and Andy Abrams was determined to keep it.

...

_**ANx2...I know there are some similarities to the "A Very Glee Christmas" episode, that is done intentionally and will continue throughout this arc. I love that episode SO much, but definitely feel the storyline works better when it's focused on an 8yo, NOT a 16/17yo.  
**_

_**Shout out to Megan because she's sick with the plague(flu). Feel better soon:D  
**_


	31. Chapter 31

_**An authors note...Most of this chapter will seem very familiar since I took much of the dialogue directly from the season 2 episode, Never Been Kissed. I love that episode(the Partie friendship in particular) and wanted to show that, adding my own little touches/tweaks to make it fit my storyline. Hope you enjoy!**__**  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

"Ok guys, lets get right down to business. First, let's welcome back Noah Puckerman."

A round of applause followed Mr. Schuester's announcement.

All except Quinn.

Artie couldn't help but notice her stony expression, or how she was dismissively fiddling with her pen instead of paying attention to the rest of the class. When he turned back to glance at the jock, he was met with a fake punch that made him flinch.

"Puck, I hope your time in Juvie has taught you a thing or two about right and wrong," Will added.

"Are you kidding?" Noah scoffed incredulously, "I ran that place. All I did was crack skulls and lift weights all day."

"Oh and to think I ever let you go," Quinn mumbled sarcastically from her spot on the upper riser. The comment itself did bother Artie, what did was how he'd been saving the seat next to him for Quinn like he usually did, only to have Puck plop himself down before she got there, forcing her to take the only remaining seat left in the room.

It wasn't long before Mr. Schue began rattling off their competition list for Regionals, and Artie began to zone out; the only thing getting his attention was Puck's insulting comment about the elderly.

...

Two days later, Artie found himself with Puck again...this time in the middle of the courtyard, in the freezing rain...instead of in the cafeteria with the jock trying to smuggle food out of there. This time, he agreed to the excursion, but only after making it clear that the chair was off limits.

"Shouldn't you be studying geometry, aren't you failing?" he asked as he watched Puck tune his acoustic.

"One thing I learned in Juvie? Cash is King," Noah replied smugly. "It lets people know were not doing this for free."

"What, you think people are going to pay us to sing?" Artie shot back. "I don't think busking is allowed at school."

Puck began to play. "Watch and learn young Jedi in a wheelchair."

"This is so bad-ass," Artie chuckled, blushing slightly, "I've never broken the rules like this before."

The song lasted less than three minutes, but in that time, Puck's guitar case was filled with money.

"Holy crap, there's like three hundred bucks in here."

"Yeah, you really can't put a dollar amount on talent plus fear," Noah snickered in reply.

"I can, it's about three hundred bucks," Artie countered, picking up a handful of cash. He paused for a second before asking, "What are you gonna do with it?"

"Buy a butt load of clove cigarettes, then I don't know," Puck shrugged indifferently.

So Artie helped him along a little. "You're going to give the rest to Quinn, right?"

Noah glanced down at the money, about to agree, but when he looked back, Artie's attention had wandered over to the group of Cheerios walking down the steps. There was some sugary sweet exchange, followed by blushes, and smiles, and little finger waves that made Puck want to vomit. Artie's longing gaze almost did him in.

"Dude, when was the last time you two went out?" The seated boy looked up quizzically. "Like out, out?"

"I don't know," Artie replied with a slight shrug, "a few weeks ago."

"Forget the cigarettes, here's some community service for you...you gotta keep your girl happy," Puck instructed, stuffing a wad of bills into his pocket. "So you and I are gonna take some of this money and take San and Quinn on a double date to the Olive Garden."

Not exactly Artie's first choice when he thought pf "out, out" but the sentiment was obviously there.

"There you are," Quinn's voice rang out, and in a flash, she was next to him, running her hand though his damp hair. "I heard you two killed it out here a few minutes ago. Sorry I missed it."

Artie smiled up at her, met her gaze and guided it over to the full guitar case. "You could say that."

Quinn's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's for Caroline," Noah stated, his tone still on guard, but no longer defensive.

The blond's expression softened, but she maintained her slightly suspicious gaze.

"And almost completely legal," he made sure to add. Quinn glanced back him. "I'm really trying here."

She smiled then. "Thank you."

Artie grinned at the exchange, but it faltered once the realization hit and he couldn't help but wonder how far Puck was willing to take this community service thing...because he was fairly certain he was going to need a little help getting out of these soaked jeans.

...

Dinner was, for the most part, a tolerable experience...until the food was gone and Puck starting speaking.

"There I was at Juvie, in the mess hall at breakfast, when I noticed the guy behind me going for the same waffle," he began as if he were divulging top secret information. "This guy's 6'11, 300 easy, got his teeth filed into canines, tats everywhere." Santana gasped and he grinned. "It gets better. I turn around, flex my right pec, flex my left pec, and I say to the guy 'Leggo my Eggo'. And you know what he does? He let's go of my Eggo."

"You should be our nation's president," Santana gushed in awe.

"Riveting," Quinn mumbled under her breath, then plastered on a fake smile before excusing herself. "I'm going to run to the restroom."

Their smiling waitress passed by with the check. As soon as the bill hit the table and Puck declared he didn't pay for food, he and Santana were out of their seats and headed for the door.

Artie knew what he had to do and quickly pulled two twenties out of his wallet, before handing the payment over to their waitress. "Can I get you some change?" she asked politely.

"Keep it," he returned, beaming up at her. "Thanks."

"What the hell was that about?" Puck's gruff voice boomed from behind.

Artie swiveled around, meeting Noah's gaze. "Sorry, I couldn't do it," he found himself apologizing, though he wasn't sure why. He had done the right thing. "She gave us free refills, and I figure she's got a family. I'm not gonna do that to her."

"Whatever, Dude, you wussed out," Puck scoffed, his eyes narrowing disapprovingly. "So have fun taking the short bus home, cause I'm taking my girl back to Chez Puckerman, for a little..."

The obscene gesture Noah gave, made Artie cringe a bit. "Wait, seriously?" he asked incredulously.

"Damn straight," Puck retorted. "I'm giving you all my trade secrets here. If you don't want my help, then you're on your own." And with that, he was gone.

Quinn found Artie, a few minutes later, seated at the front of the restaurant, cell phone lowering from his ear. "Puck getting the truck?" she asked, stepping beside him; her hand falling onto his shoulder as she took a seat on the bench next to him.

Artie tried to smile, but it came off as more of a pained frown. "They left," he answered with an apologetic shrug. "He and Santana wanted some...alone time."

Quinn gave a slightly disgusted grimace. "You're kidding, right?"

Artie shook his head regretfully. "My Dad's on his way." Quinn let out an annoyed sigh, and gave her own head a shake of disapproval. "Sorry," he apologized again. "I'm sure this isn't the way you wanted to end our date."

Quinn regarded him for a moment, then smiled. "What? Sitting with my boyfriend, enjoying some quite time after eating a fabulous meal?"

Artie rolled his eyes. "No. Sitting with your boyfriend, waiting for his Dad to pick you up after the couple you were double dating with decided to ditch you."

Quinn let out a deep chuckle, then snuggled closer to Artie's side. "How about sitting here, enjoying each others company while waiting for your amazing boyfriend's Dad to come pick you up after the couple you were double dating with decided to ditch you?" His lips quirked up a bit, but he still looked disappointed. "Honestly Artie," Quinn added, letting her head rest against his shoulder, "I don't care how we get home, just as long as we're together now."

...

Puck ignoring Artie was nothing new. Neither was Puck being called down to Mr. Figgins office. Regardless, the combination still made Artie's stomach twist.

"Heard you weren't in geometry today."

"Jackpot," Puck countered, not even bothering to look behind him as he grabbed his backpack out of his locker. "I'm gettin' out of here." Artie looked up, confused."I'm skippin' town, Genius. My probation officer says hanging out with you isn't real community service. So if I don't spend the next six weeks picking up garbage on the side of the highway, they're gonna send me..."

"So?" Artie asked incredulously. "What's wrong with picking up trash?"

"I told you it's ghetto," Puck balked. "I'm not a garbage man. Do you know how humiliating that is? And I'm not going back to juvie."

"Why? I thought you loved it there."

"There are some hard dudes in there," he went on to explain, "Guys with no families. Guys who look at you like you're some kind of dog they can kick the crap out of."

Artie gave Puck a pointed look that made him stop in his tracks. "So you're just going to abandon your daughter like your Dad did to you and your family?"

"That's not what I'm doing."

"No?"

Puck glared menacingly, though his resolve was starting to crumble. "I'm not my old man," he grumbled.

"Wouldn't leaving make you just like him?" Artie returned, and Noah glanced away, ashamed. "Look, I know you want to make Caroline proud, which is why you need to stay in school and finish out the year. You can't graduate without passing geometry..."

"I might not pass anyway," Puck interjected.

"Then let me help you," Artie suggested. "You can be my community service. I owe you." Noah looked even more perplexed than before, causing the smaller boy to smirk slightly. "Hanging out with you made me feel almost cool, and that's something I didn't think would ever be possible." He chuckled. "Give me six weeks and if you don't get at least a B on your mid-term, I'll buy you all the waffles you can eat. Geometry is easy, Yo!"

"You'd do that?"

Artie briefly glanced down at his lap and blushed. "Like I told you before, I'd do anything for her. And since you're part of the reason she's here, and in my life..."

"Thanks man," Puck cut him off, grinning as they shook on it.

...

_**ANx2...It seems like it's been forever, but I'm back, and hoping to get a bunch of updating done while I have the time:D**_


	32. Chapter 32

_**An authors note...Less than three weeks between updates, not a record, but not nearly as long as it has been. A nice little building/filler chapter for you all, and yes again, taking my favorite parts from the show and adding them to my story...I LOVE this performance! Enjoy:D**__**  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

"Couldn't you have just dropped me off at the school first?"

"No Andy, I couldn't," Artie replied, for at least the third time since they left their house. "The school is in the opposite direction, if I would have taken you there first, I would have been late for _my_ appointment." At Andy's sigh, he added, "Rick's a busy guy, he has other patients to take care of. I'm lucky he was able to squeeze me in on such short notice."

Another sigh, followed by a grumble. "Don't worry, I'll get you to your practice on time," Artie promised.

"You'd better," Andy warned.

"Well, if you'd move a little faster, we would get there sooner," Artie returned pointedly, as they cut through the parking lot. He was already moving at such a fast pace that Andy had to practically jog to keep up with him.

Once inside, they still had half a building to go through.

"I still don't get why the football team has to perform with the Geek Club in the first place."

"Because it's what Mr. Schuester and Coach Beiste decided on," Artie supplied the answer to his brother's ongoing rant.

"Punishing us, is more like it," Andy countered.

Artie could have argued that having to perform one routine with the Glee Club was hardly a punishment, and that any punishment inflicted on the football team would have been totally justified. But instead, he just kept spinning his wheels at breakneck speed.

"I mean seriously, we're football players, we're not supposed to dance."

"A lot of them do actually." Andy gave his brother an incredulous look. Artie chuckled slightly. "Dance, I mean. Taking dance classes helps athletes with all kinds of things, such as; flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, speed and agility..."

"You're high," Andy cut in.

Artie laughed. "No seriously, just look at Dancing With the Stars. There have been a bunch of football players on that show and most of them turned out to be fantastic dancers, some even won the title."

Andy stopped dead in his tracks. "What the hell, Dude? You're turning into Mom."

Artie fought the urge to roll his eyes, or let the smirk that was threatening to, break through. "Whatever, just shut up and keep moving."

...

The OT department of the rehabilitation center was packed with people, both patients and family members alike. Luckily for Andy, they were headed directly through to Rick's office, so he wouldn't have too much time to become any more uncomfortable than he already was.

"A, what's up, man?" Rick greeted as he pushed away from his desk. He was in his chair, which was nothing that unusual, only this time he was still wearing his prosthetic legs. It was something he tended to do when he was working with new patients, so they could start on the same level, while still leaving him with the freedom to get up if and when he needed.

Artie grinned as they shook hands. "I need a favor."

"That's what you said on the phone," Rick returned, just now noticing the tall figure still standing in the doorway. "Damn, is that...?"

Artie glanced over his shoulder and nodded, "My_ little_ brother."

"Andrew Abrams," the older man gasped in surprise, as he carefully rose to his feet, "I haven't seen you in forever."

"Hey Rick," Andy waved in return, a shy smile on his face.

"Dude, you're like huge. How old are you now, fifteen...sixteen?"

"I'll be fifteen in a few weeks," Andy answered with a nod.

Rick let out a breath. "Woah, time really flies."

And it had. But that was only because it had been years since Andy last stepped foot inside that building.

"The last time I saw you, you were about this tall," Rick added, gesturing to the space between his waist and chest.

Andy could imagine Artie's stare boring into him, so he avoided making eye contact with his brother. "I've been busy," he replied, trying to sound indifferent.

"That's what your Mom said. Sports and shit, yeah?"

Andy nodded and kept his expression stoic, hoping to contain the unfamiliar feelings of remorse and guilt from bubbling up inside of him.

"He's got to be the best player on his football team, started every single game," Artie exclaimed with pride.

Rick's brow turned up curiously. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, even got us to the championship this year," Artie continued, glancing between his blushing brother and his therapist. "Which is why I needed to see you. I need a new chair."

Rick's pleased expression clouded over. "Something wrong with this one?"

Artie grinned and shook his head as he subconsciously, and almost affectionately ran his hand over the wheel rim. "No, this one is great. I need a sports chair."

"For football?"

"Not exactly," Artie chuckled, his brief exploration into that subject, a distant memory. "We're performing at the halftime show, so I need something that I can borrow for about a week, that's light, and would have good maneuverability out on the field."

"Grass or turf?"

"Grass."

"Of course. It's always something with you," Rick teased playfully, as he mentally calculated Artie's measurements in his head. "I think I have something that'll fit you perfect. How do you feel about green?"

Artie's grin widened. "I love it."

Rick smiled back as he remembered his patient's second chair having a green frame. "I'll be right back," he stated with a wave. "Andy, come give me a hand."

"Uh, sure," the boy replied, somewhat hesitant, but followed Rick dutifully into his storage room.

"Back left-hand corner, there's a green frame hanging on the wall," the older man instructed, then let out a soft chuckle. "I'm gonna go find your brother his magic wheels."

Rick emerged only seconds after Andy retrieved the frame and with in a few minutes, Artie was getting situated. "It might feel a little weird at first. This seat is sloped a little more than you're used to, and the wheels are slanted...more for stability than maneuverability, but knowing you, I'm sure it won't take you very long to master it."

"It's great," Artie beamed. "Thanks. I'll bring it back Saturday."

"My pleasure," he answered by way of parting. "Hey, when's the game?"

"Friday at McKinley, halftime show of the varsity game," Artie pivoted to answer. "You coming?"

"What are you guys performing to?"

"Michael Jackson's Thriller."

Rick smirked. "Wouldn't miss it."

Artie nodded excitedly as he turned back to face Andy. "You got that?" he asked, motioning to his chair.

"Is this why you brought me here?" Andy grumbled as he begrudgingly began to push the chair behind his brother.

"Well you needed a ride back to the school and I needed someone to grab my chair," Artie shrugged, playing indifferent, but there was an unmistakable twinkle in his eye. "You could always hop in and we can test out how_ maneuverable_ this bad boy is?"

Andy paused, but it was not because Artie had stopped to look up at him. Sure he'd taken it from time to time, but he hadn't "played" in one of his brothers chairs since he was about eight or nine. It started to loose it's appeal after he got in trouble for the hundredth time, but was even more discerning was learning, in great detail, all his brother had to deal with on a daily basis. "Uh, I..."

"I won't tell Mom."

Andy rolled his eyes at his beaming brother...he was such a dork. "Whatever," he replied dismissively as he carefully began to lower himself into the seat, "just don't cry when you're eating my dust."

...

_**ANx2...Okay, thought we needed some Abrams brother bonding in this one. Don't know how long it's going to last, so you'd better enjoy it while it's here;)**_**_  
_**


	33. Chapter 33

_**An authors note...Yes, I'm posting a holiday chap in May. But that's not nearly half as bad as still being 2.5 years behind in the timeline. Luckily, it hasn't taken me that long to update, and shouldn't take very long to get the next one up. So without further ado, I give you some Quartie Christmasy fluff this Memorial Day weekend;)**__**  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

Relations between the Glee Club and the football team had improved greatly in the week or so since the Thriller performance. Maybe it was the camaraderie that came with rehearsing and performing together, of maybe it was because the football team was still too far over the moon from winning the championship, that they could care less about who was on their bully list. Either way, life at McKinley was pretty good.

"Alright people, settle down."

"Mr. Schue, what are _they_ doing here again?"

"Yeah, I thought we were done with _them_."

Will frowned. He half expected any resistance to come from the football players, not his own students...and especially not Tina and Mercedes.

"Coach Beiste and I have been talking, and thought it would be a great idea to join forces again, now that you all have bonded, to work on a project together this holiday season."

Ignoring the perplexed looks the students were giving him, Mr. Schuester continued. "Coach Beiste belongs to a group..."

"A nonprofit organization."

"That helps people in need during the holidays."

"So like Toys for Tots?" Sam asked.

"Not exactly."

"Like the Salvation Army?" Quinn suggested.

"Well, sort of," Shannon replied. "This organization raises money and accepts donations, then fulfills the requests made by those chosen, in time for the holidays."

"Like a Secret Santa," Brittany announced excitedly.

Will let out a soft chuckle, "Yes Brittany, almost like a Secret Santa."

"Only this organization tries to grant the wishes of as many deserving people as they can," Shannon added.

"What does that have to do with us?" Finn asked.

Mr. Schue glanced over at Coach Beiste. "Well, we thought that you guys could pool your talents and work together to raise money, awareness, and collect donated items for this great organization."

"By doing what?" Mike inquired.

"Anything you think would help," Will replied. "We're going to have you guys split up in groups and each group is going to be responsible for coming up with a cause you'd like to donate to or plan for a fundraising event. It should be a lot of fun."

Expressions remained skeptical, some even looked annoyed, but for the most part, there were no objections. It even gave some students an idea or two of their own.

Andy Abrams, was one of them.

"Coach Beiste," he called after her as they were leaving the choir room after being officially dismissed, "can I ask you a question?"

...

The smell of cinnamon, stronger than usual, wafting through the air. And closer she got to the kitchen, the louder the voices, giggles, and shushes became. As she rounded the corner, Caroline held firmly on her hip, she shocked to see the room filled with balloons, and streamers, and a huge sign.

"Surprise!"

Momentarily stunned, Quinn gasped and shook her head in disbelief. "Artie, wha..." she trailed off, but quickly recovered. "I can't believe you did all this."

"Happy Anniversary."

"Thank you," she giggled, smiling lovingly at her boyfriend."But today is only December third, our six month anniversary isn't until tomorrow."

Artie's grin turned into a smirk. "Exactly. Tomorrow is our six month anniversary, but today marks one year that you've been with us. That makes this your anniversary weekend."

"Today is your gotcha day," Abbey supplied exuberantly. Her mind reeling, Quinn's expression turned perplexed. "I have a friend who's adopted and he said he gets to celebrate his birthday and the day his parents got to keep him...his gotcha day," the youngest Abrams explained. "Even though Mommy and Daddy didn't actually adopt you and Caroline, it's still kinda like we did."

How could she have forgotten?

Tears immediately sprang to Quinn's eyes. Never in her life had she been so touched. She quickly crossed the distance between her and Artie, and gently folded herself and Caroline, into his lap.

"Hey Quinn. No, don't cry," Artie cooed, alarmed that he'd upset her.

"It's just...I can't...," words failed her again, and she paused to sniffle back some tears. "I just love you so much," Quinn finally managed, then sat up a little to look around the room. "I love you all so much."

Alicia smiled and stepped over to hug Quinn. "We love you too, Sweetheart," she replied with a squeeze, "both of you."

Quinn's grin intensified as she willingly released Caroline into Alicia's loving hands. "You're amazing," she whispered, turning back to Artie.

"You're even more amazing," he countered and playfully pulled her tighter against him.

So much had changed in the past year, but one thing remained the same...Quinn Fabray was home.

...

With the memory of the previous day still fresh in her head, Quinn tiptoed down the stairs about an hour before Artie was due to get up. She wanted to do something special for the Abrams, not just because of everything they'd done the day before...from the morning decorations, to the flowers Artie had Andy hide in her locker, to the special lunch he'd arranged, to cake Alicia and Abbey baked for dessert that evening...but because she loved him and wanted to do something special for his family.

For breakfast she made Alicia's prized chocolate chip waffles for the whole family, finished as many chores as she could while Artie was at his physio session, even brought up more than half of the Christmas decorations from the basement, in time for their annual decorating party.

Abbey insisted the tree they were to get, be even bigger than the one from the previous year, "To fit all the new stuff on it." She had said it in such a nonchalant way, in such a general context, that Quinn never gave it a second thought; that was until later that night.

It happened after the tree was decorated, after the family had eaten their pizza by the fireplace, just as Alicia was bringing out the seaming mugs full of hot cocoa, marshmallows, and peppermint candy canes.

"I got you something," Artie announced, coasting to a stop in front of Quinn. He held out the small box and grinned. "I was going to give it to you yesterday, but I figured it would be best to wait until now. Happy Anniversaries."

Quinn giggled and grinned back at him. "Thank you," she replied, accepting the package. "And it just so happens I have something for you as well."

Taking the much larger box he was being offered, Artie blanched slightly. "I still owe you a proper dinner and movie," he amended, as if apologizing in advance for the gift she was about to receive. "This is just a little something I wanted you to have."

Quinn lifted the lid of the box, and immediately, tears sprung to her eyes. "Oh Artie it's beautiful."

A slightly self-conscious smile spread across his face. "You like it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Quinn asked incredulously, as she threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. She glanced back at the heart-shaped glass ornament in her hand, admired the etching that read:_ 'Our First Christmas Together Artie and Quinn 2010'_, and nodded. "I love it, it's perfect." The two shared a sweet kiss before Quinn broke apart. "Now open yours."

Artie did what he was told, and quickly found an equally sentimental keepsake. "You finished it," he declared, paging through the photo album.

"The first five and a half months at least," Quinn replied, chuckling softly.

"Why don't we add one to the book," Alicia suggested, camera at the ready.

Abbey waited patiently as her brother and his girlfriend posed for their official six month anniversary photo shoot before making her move. "We have something for you too, Quinn," the little girl announced excitedly, and handed the gift bag over. "There's something for you, and two things for Caroline."

"Two things?" Quinn quipped, mock scandalized. She dug through the tissue paper to find two Christmas stockings, one with her her name, and one with her daughter's. Teary eyed, she looked up at Alicia.

"It's only proper that everyone in the family have their own stocking hanging from the mantel," Mrs. Abrams intoned, nodding to space they made to accommodate the additions...Quinn's next to Artie's and Caroline's next to Abbey's. Leaping to her feet, Quinn wrapped her arms around the older woman.

"There's something else in Caroline's stocking," Abbey cut in anxiously.

Quinn stuck her hand inside the fabric and pulled out the small ceramic trinket; an exact replica of the bootie shaped ornament each Abrams child had for their own first Christmas, complete with Caroline's vital statistics. "Oh Alicia, this is all just too..." her words failed and she clutched the woman again.

Artie smiled at the exchange. It wasn't long before his girlfriend dislodged herself from his mother's embrace, and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much."

He grinned back before leaning in to kiss her. "You wanna hang those on the tree?" he asked suggestively, tugging on her hand.

It didn't take long for Quinn and Artie find the perfect branch, and hung the two ornaments, side by side.

...

_**ANx2...Just wanted to leave a note of thanks for your continued support. Thank you!**_


	34. Chapter 34

_**An authors note...As much as I would have liked, I just wasn't able to fit in any Hanukkah celebrations to this arc. Sorry:( But I hope this little piece of Christmas in July will suffice. **__**  
**_

**_Disclaimer-Glee is the property of FOX, the creators and the writers. _**

**_Beauty and the Geek_**

It was the first day of winter break, and only two days before Christmas. Excitement was high, but the need to get everything accomplished, even greater. So when the doorbell rang in the middle of the day, Alicia, currently elbow deep in cookie dough, called out for someone to answer it.

"Uh, Mom?" she heard Andy's voice call out moment later. "You might wanna come here."

Only mildly annoyed, Alicia let out a small sigh as she walked over to the sink to wash her hands, before heading to the front door. What she found when she arrived, made her gasp.

"Delivery for Arthur Abrams."

"What in the world?"

That caught the attention of the three left in the kitchen and they came rushing out just as the delivery man was pushing the cart carrying the large package, into the house. "That ramp out there sure came in handy today," he quipped, handing a clipboard to Alicia, to sign. She smiled weakly at his joke as she triple checked the shipping labels, before penning her signature. "Thanks," the man nodded, smiling. "Have a nice day. Merry Christmas."

"What is it?" Abbey was the first to ask, awestruck by the massive cardboard box sitting in the entry way.

"I'm not sure, Sweetheart," Alicia replied, inspecting the labels further. "But I sure wish your father would warn me before sending his work packages to the house."

"Mom? I don't think this is for Dad," Andy interjected, sounding stunned himself. Four sets of imploring eyes immediately fell upon him. "Unless his firm needs a piece of rehabilitative equipment, from overseas."

Alicia moved to his side, and sure enough, in addition to the red stamp marked fragile that peppered the rest of the box, there were big bold letters identifying the only other possible recipient.

Suddenly, all attention turned to Artie. "What?" he asked defensively, "I didn't order anything."

"No, but someone did," Alicia retorted, still trying to process the situation. "I guess the only way to figure out this mystery, is to open the box."

"No Mommy wait, you can't," Abbey shouted, just as her mother stepped forward.

Startled, Alicia turned to regard her daughter. "Why not, Sweetheart?"

"It says 'do not open until December twenty fifth'," she instructed, reading the message directly off her side of the box. "That must mean it's a Christmas present." And then it clicked and there was a loud gasp followed by a squeal. "Wait no, you have to open it right now."

"But you just told me not to."

"I know, but that's before I realized what is was," Abbey continued rambling. "This is Artie's Christmas present. The one I asked Santa for. It just has to be. I knew he'd bring it. I bet he had to send it in the mail because it was too big to deliver on Christmas Eve..."

"Abbigayle Hope, what in the world are you going on about?"

"This is the Christmas present I asked Santa to bring for Artie," the little girl gasped in reply. Quinn shot Andy a guarded look, while Artie tried to swallow the lump of emotion building in his throat, and Alicia just looked on, bewildered. "Mommy, you have to open it now...Please!"

Enlisting the help of Andy and a box cutter from Art's tool box, Alicia shrugged and got right down to work. I no time the box was removed and the contents finally revealed; a task that elicited a few gasps from the onlookers. There was a strangled, "Oh my" and a squawk of delight from Abbey.

"I don't understand," Mrs. Abrams mumbled in disbelief. "Abbey, how on earth is this possible?"

"When I was writing out my Christmas list, I asked Santa to bring Artie his own Re-walk so he wouldn't have to wait to borrow the one from the center," she began to explain.

Artie noticed the slightly conspiratorial looks Quinn and Andy, were giving one another, but couldn't really bother to care since he was still trying to wrap his head around how his nine year old sister got her hands on piece of medical equipment that cost tens of thousands of dollars, and wasn't even available in the country at the moment.

"Sweetheart, that was so thoughtful of you," Alicia answered in response, "but I'm not sure this is a gift Santa would be able to bring."

"Of course he did," Abbey insisted, beaming. "Who else would bring it?"

Valid point, but one that didn't ease Alicia's conscience any. She looked over at the older kids for some sort of assistance in the matter, but found they were as perplexed as she.

"Maybe I should call the center," Artie voiced his thought. "Someone there might know something."

"Nobody's going to know anything, Artie," Abbey intoned determinately. "This didn't come from the center, it came from Santa."

"What came from Santa?" Art's questioning voice echoed through the dining room as he was entering the entryway. "Whoa."

"Isn't it great, Daddy?" Abbey squealed in askance, "Artie got his own Re-walk for Christmas."

"That is great, Princess," Art replied once he was over his initial shock. He then turned to his wife. "Where...I mean, how...?"

"I was hoping you might know something about this," she replied, even more distraught than before. "It came about a half hour ago, addressed to Artie, but no return name on the shipping label or packing slip."

"No clue," was Art's response, inspecting the paperwork just as Alicia had done minutes before, "but I suppose I could make some calls; see if anyone knows where this came from."

"I know where it came from," Abbey pipped in eagerly. "It came from Santa."

Art's expression turned skeptical at best. "Sweetheart, I don't think this is something Santa can just bring to anyone..."

"But he did, I swear, " she cut in with another attempt at an explanation. "I asked Santa to bring Artie his own Re-walk and new crutches...red, his favorite color...and that's exactly what he got."

A sympathetic shadow covered Art's face as he knelt down beside his daughter. "It was Santa," she whispered insistently, tears beginning to fill her eyes at a rapid rate. She blinked them away and glanced around to see everyone else looking at her in much the same way. "Why doesn't anyone believe me?" she cried before running up the stairs to her bedroom.

...

Artie made sure to give Abbey some space, especially after she turned away both their mother and Quinn, when they knocked on her door; but only long enough for the battery pack to charge and his Re-walk to be ready for him. Now standing at the bottom of the stairs, Quinn beside him; he was just about to engage the button that would aid him in climbing the steps, when there was a soft click from above.

"I was just about to come up and get you," he stated, smiling up at her.

Abbey tried to return the gesture, but fell short. "Mommy told me to be downstairs for dinner by six."

Artie glanced at the Grandfather clock to his left. "It's 5:42."

"I know," Abbey whispered as she slowly headed down the stairs.

A brief smile flashed across Artie's face when he realized the telltale whir of the Re-walk's motor must have alerted her that he was near. He waited until she got closer to the bottom, before speaking again. "Listen Abbs, I'm really sorry for how we all acted earlier. It was wrong of us to not um...to misunderstand what you were trying to tell us," he explained, though he wasn't sure he was even his own message was coming across clearly.

"That's okay, I understand," she replied, still sounding dejected. "I'm just a stupid little girl who still believes in Santa Clause."

Evidently it hadn't.

Artie's chest constricted painfully as he remembered the hurtful words Andy spoke to Abbey the year before. He was just about to refute that, when the doorbell rang.

"That must be Puck," Quinn muttered from behind Artie.

Grateful for the distraction, he asked his sister, "You wanna give me a hand answering that?"

Abbey nodded dutifully, and waited for Artie to finish the arduous task of shifting around, before following him to the door.

"Hi Noah," she greeted once their guest was in view.

"Hey Rugrat," the tough jock replied affectionately. "You ready to bake some cookies? Abbey nodded as she moved to the side to let him in. "Wha...," the words died in his mouth as Noah stood face to face with none other than Artie Abrams.

There was a soft chuckle, followed by a spirited smirk. "It's that machine I was telling you guys about at school," Artie explained, pressing the button on his wrist and taking a few steps forward. "The Re-walk."

"It's Artie's Christmas present," Abbey supplied happily.

"How the hell did you afford that thing?" Noah queried, failing to regard the youngest occupant in the room.

"We didn't buy it," Art answered, appearing from the kitchen with Caroline perched safely on his hip and Alicia at his side. "In fact, we're not entirely sure where it came from."

"It came for me this afternoon," Artie added, "no return address or anything."

Puck turned as skeptical as everyone did before. "So if no one you know bought it for you, then who...?"

"Santa brought it," a timid little voice called out from bellow.

"Santa?" his tone sounded just as dubious.

"Santa," Alicia stated confidently, the sparkle immediately returning to her sweet daughter's eyes.

"Santa," Artie confirmed, and there was now a beaming smile to match.

Quinn inched closer to her boyfriend. "A real Christmas miracle," she mused, pressing a kiss on his cheek from behind.

Artie smiled back at her before taking a few more steps forward.

Noah quickly replaced the look of awe on his face with his usual smirk of indifference. "Yeah sure, whatever. All I know is that meal is smelling pretty miraculous to me right now," he quipped, breezing past everyone to accept Caroline from Art. After a second, Puck threw his head over his shoulder to ask, "You comin' Tiny Tim?"

Artie laughed in spite of himself, and in spite of the gasp of disapproval that came from his mother. He flashed Alicia an apologetic grin, though it came off as more amused than critical. He knew Noah was just teasing playfully, and deep down, so did Alicia.

Watching the entire exchange from atop the second floor landing, Andy Abrams smiled satisfactorily to himself before bounding down the stairs to join his family for dinner.

...

_**ANx2...and that my lovelies, is my take on A Very Glee Christmas. Hope you enjoyed it!**_


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